


Sacrificial Dean

by CroatoanBeast, dragontara



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha/Omega, Angel Castiel (Supernatural), BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), BAMF Dean Winchester, Breeding Bench, Dean/Cas Big Bang, Dubious Consent, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Snarky Dean, Witches, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 10:13:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12651510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CroatoanBeast/pseuds/CroatoanBeast, https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragontara/pseuds/dragontara
Summary: Dean Winchester was prepared for all sorts of surprises during hunts, but ending tied up and being offered as a gift to an angered god wasn’t one of them.





	Sacrificial Dean

**Author's Note:**

> dragontara: Whew, this is my first DCBB and also my first Destiel fic. This adventure has been exciting, scary and lots of fun! Big thanks to my awesome friend and co-author CroatoanBeast who filled this fic with incredible action scenes. Also big thanks to our lovely beta, gusx217, who made this fic a readable one. And the art, wow, that was created by wonderful, talented Starmouse123. Not going to lie, when I first saw her gorgeous art, it brought me to tears, it's so beautiful. Here's the link to her [stunning art](http://starmouse123.tumblr.com/post/167198154385/sacrificial-dean-ii-dcbb-2017-ii-art-masterpost). Hope you all enjoy what we have created for you!
> 
> CroatoanBeast: This fic was amazing to write, this was my first collaboration with both my wonderful co-author and the equally talented artist. I think it will be the start of many more collabs.

For once Dean actually stopped to think before jumping head first into the hunt. He leaned on his Impala outside the roadside diner he had exited only minutes ago. The owner of the diner had told him about strange incidents with wolves happening around the area. There hadn’t been any wolves around here in about 70 years, and now they were all over the place in packs, scaring people and chasing livestock, fortunately without much damage so far.

Dean was intrigued. He wanted to take a closer look at the neighborhood, but for once he listened to the little voice of reason in the back of his head. The reasonable thing would be to leave it and head back to Lawrence as planned. Dean knew better than to jump into the case alone, especially when there were packs of wolves involved and whatever it was that was drawing them so far south from their natural environment.

On the other hand, he had just left Sam in California, and Bobby wasn’t expecting him back for another day or two. Dad was still on his own hunting trip, Dean hadn’t heard from him for days, so no one was expecting him at home. So he could afford to spend a few days here, just checking things out for a bit. 

Decision made, Dean called Bobby to let him know not to expect him back for a couple of days, and then hopped into his Impala to drive around for a while to take a better look at the area. The town itself was small, practically one main street with several buildings lining it. Dean spotted a grocery down the street and went in to buy some bottles of water and get more information. 

The cashier was a nice older lady who loved to talk, and Dean learned a lot more about the pests and the rumors around them. The wolves had already killed one of old Henderson’s sheep and mangled his shepherd dog. People were scared to go outside after sunset and were keeping their pets strictly inside. Someone had seen at least one wolf pack coming from the direction of the Rocky Mountains, although the Rockies were about two hours drive from the town. 

Dean was slowly beginning to think that the townspeople needed a different hunter than he was, wildlife hunters or something like that. Dean honestly doubted a salt bullet would do a thing to the wolves running around the town. He was about to give up the case when the lady said something that caught Dean’s attention and curiosity.

“Martha Wells said that her husband saw a young boy running with the wolves last week. The boy wasn’t any one of the locals as far as he could see.”

Dean perked up at hearing this. “A boy? Did they say what the boy looked like?“ Now he felt like they were getting at something.

“Well, she said the boy must have been from a poor family, his clothes had been very old fashioned and in awful shape. Poor kid, I wonder what he’s doing with the wolves anyway.” The lady shook her head eyes full of pity.

Dean thanked the lady and went to see if he could get a room in the local motel. This case practically screamed for a closer look.

In the motel room Dean opened his laptop and spent the evening trying to find more information about the last time wolves were seen in the area. His instincts told him there would be something in there connecting these two incidents together.

He found out that, indeed, it had been over 70 years since the last time wolves had been seen in the area, and just like now the wolves had been seen in packs. Local farmers had shot all of the wolves but one, which had escaped and ran into the woods. The hunters had followed it, only to return next day with one of them fatally injured. None of them had ever told anyone what had happened in the woods. Over time the wolf incident turned to a folk-tale.

Mulling over all the information and deep in thought, Dean went to bed. Come morning, he would begin his investigations with more interviews and take a closer look at the area.

*~*~*

In the middle of the night Dean woke up hearing a bone-chilling howl. He jumped out of the bed and looked out the window. He couldn’t see anything unusual; only street lights were illuminating the deserted main street. 

He went to put his clothes and boots on to go outside. There must be something going on around the town that he couldn’t see from the window. 

He opened the door and froze. One large wolf appeared next to the Impala, staring at him with creepy white eyes, it’s stare so intense that Dean felt a chill in his bones. Then it raised it’s head and sniffed the air, releasing a single howl and sitting on it’s haunches as if waiting for something. Soon Dean noticed a young boy on the other side of the yard, beckoning to the wolf, but keeping his distance from Dean. The wolf stood up and glared at Dean for a long while. Then it lifted one of it’s hind legs as if trying to challenge him and urinated on Dean’s beloved Impala before taking off with a giant leap.

“Hey! Come back, you fucking beast!” Dean yelled, storming out to the parking lot, really pissed off at the animal’s crude behavior. He looked around, but couldn’t see anything out of place. The wolf and the boy were gone. 

Dean walked to the car to see if the wolf had damaged it, but he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Not even a fresh piss mark, as it should have been. However, the message was clear: this was getting personal, and Dean was not backing off from a challenge as blatant as this one.

*~*~*

Next morning, after a decent breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash browns at the local diner and a quick phone call to Bobby for an update, Dean decided to drive a bit in the direction of the Rockies. That’s the direction where the wolves had been seen coming from in the first place. He doubted he would find anything useful out there during the day but he was too restless to just sit on his ass and do some research, or just wait for nightfall in his motel room.

He drove over an hour before stopping at a diner just off the road. He flirted with the sexy blonde waitress and entertained himself with the idea of maybe asking her out while he was around, but discarded the idea almost instantly. He was just staying in the area for a few days, and after he solved the case, he would be out of here.

The waitress didn’t know anything about wolves running around, nor had she heard anything. The chick must be living in a fucking bubble or something, or there simply just weren’t any wolf incidents around here. If the latter was the case, then it sounded even more weird. The wolves had arrived from the direction of the Rockies, and this place should have been exactly on their way. 

After finishing his coffee and pie, Dean jumped into his car and started driving back to his temporary base camp. This trip had turned out to be mostly a waste of time, but at least he’d had some pretty good pie out of it. He put on some classic rock to relax for the long drive, enjoying his Baby smoothly purring under him. 

All of a sudden a wolf jumped into the road from the bushes right in front of his Impala. Dean barely managed to steer the car around the animal so as not to crash straight into it. Heart beating wildly, he maneuvered the car to the side of the road and tried to calm his breathing. That had been close.

He let his gaze sweep the side of the road where the wolf had disappeared. He instantly noticed when a young boy peered out from behind a tree trunk. They stared at each other, Dean frozen in place until he realized what he was staring at. That was the boy he saw running with the wolves!

Dean rushed out of the car and across the road to take a better look, but the boy was already gone. Cursing loudly, Dean scampered back to the car, opened the trunk and took out two of his favourite guns, his Colt and the shotgun. Locking the car behind him, he entered the forest where the wolf and the boy had disappeared.

*~*~*

The forest was eerily quiet; strangely there wasn’t even birds singing. Dean was accustomed to hunting in woods, and he was moving quietly, following a barely visible trail that led him away from the road and civilization. He wasn’t worried though, he knew his way around these kind of circumstances and had never in his life gotten lost in the woods.

Rays of sunshine filtered through the branches of the trees as Dean scanned the area for any movement. The forest wasn’t too thick for him to clearly see his surroundings, but there wasn’t anything to see, really. Just trees and bushes, not a single living creature in sight. That was strange and a bit unnerving.

All too soon it was starting to get dark and Dean checked the time, only 3pm, which was even more strange. He decided to go back to the car and return tomorrow at daylight. He turned around and started back towards the road where he had come from.

After a while, he passed the gnarled birch off the trail he had noticed earlier; good, he was going in the right direction. Not that he doubted his tracking skills, mind you. After another half hour he passed the same gnarled birch - what the hell? The birch was still on the right side of the trail as it should be on his way to the road, so obviously he was still going in the right direction. Right?

The third time he passed the fucking birch he started to get a bit worried. He had been in the forest for hours now, and it was dark already, although his watch still showed only 5pm. He tried to activate the flashlight in his phone, but it refused to work. 

“FUUUCCCKKK!” Dean yelled out his frustration. For the first time in his fucking life Dean Winchester was totally lost.

Stubbornly, Dean tried to keep following the trail, but it was too dark for him to see it anymore. The smart thing would be to stop and wait for daylight, but Dean was too anxious to stop now. He needed to keep going, surely he would hit the road at some point.

Hours later he stumbled forward, exhaustion settling into his muscles and making it a challenge to keep his balance when encountering roots or other small obstacles on the ground. His throat was parched; at this point he’d give his left ball for a bottle of fresh ice water. Yet he forced himself to keep moving. He refused to think how large these woods were; if he could ever make it out of here again. Ever see his baby brother again. Or Bobby. Or his dad. Nope, he was so not going to let those morbid thoughts settle into his brain, not now. He’d keep going until he found the road again. With that thought he kept pushing forward, grasping his shotgun tightly and focusing only on the next step forward. Then his foot got stuck in something on the ground and he fell, hitting his head as he crashed down to the ground, the night turning into a deeper darkness of unconsciousness.

*~*~*

Sunlight tickled his eyelids as Dean slowly came to, first noticing the sounds around him. Quiet voices talking, pots and pans clacking and someone sweeping nearby. He opened his eyes to see himself lying on a narrow cot inside a cabin, no one else in the small plain room but him. He quickly spotted his shotgun resting against the wall next to his cot, and his Colt on the stool next to it. He tried to sit up, and groaned as the pain shot through his head when he tried to move. He sagged back down on the cot and let the darkness claim him again.

The next time Dean woke up, it was to gentle hands wiping his forehead with a cool damp cloth. His eyelids fluttered open to see a young brunette smiling down at him.

“Ready to wake up handsome?” She winked and moved the cloth down his face and neck.

“What the…” Dean groaned, but his throat was too dry to to say anything else.

“Here, let me get you some water.” The woman offered him a glass of water, which Dean greedily gulped down.

“Where am I?” Dean asked after he regained his ability to speak.

“In the woods. We found you unconscious near our place last night, you had hit your head pretty badly. How are you feeling? Any nausea or headache?”

“Bit of both, I guess,” Dean grunted after some self-examination. His head really hurt and the nausea raised it’s ugly head every time he tried to move.

“You might have a concussion, so better stay in bed for now. I’m Hael, by the way. I will stay close in case you need anything, okay?”

“Okay,” Dean managed before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep.

Sounds of floorboards creaking caused Dean to surface from the dreamlands, hearing whispering next to his bed. There were more people in the room than just him and Hael now, and Dean didn’t want to let them know he was awake just yet. He couldn’t make out the words they were whispering, but a cautious peek from the corner of his eye revealed Hael quietly discussing something with two men. Hael looked uncomfortable and nervous and by the looks of things the two men were trying to push her into doing something she didn’t want to do. 

Hael had been kind to him, so Dean decided to help her out of the uncomfortable situation by shifting in the bed and groaning as if he was starting to awaken. The men quietly slipped out of the room leaving Hael to focus on her patient.

As Dean fully opened his eyes, Hael was perching on a stool next to Dean’s cot, smiling kindly at him.

“Hey, feeling any better today?”

“Yeah,” Dean managed through his dry lips and mouth.

“Good, good. Drink some water first, and then I’ll get you some broth. You need some sustenance, you’ve been out cold almost two days now. Here, let me help you.”

Hael helped Dean to a half-sitting position, and helped him drain the glass of water. Then she exited the room for a few minutes, returning with a bowl of some sort of soup with lots of herbs. Not much of a ‘grass eater’ Dean grimaced at the sight of it but accepted the offered spoonfuls without a fight. It wasn’t so bad, actually, but now that his nausea was gone, he’d have preferred a good cheeseburger and fries.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what on earth were you doing in the forest after dark, Mr… oh, I don’t even know your name yet,” Hael carefully asked after putting away the empty bowl.

“Dean. My name is Dean. I had been tracking wolves for hours before I got lost after dark. That’s why I was carrying those guns,” Dean glanced at his weapons only to see they were not there anymore, frowning. “Where are my guns?”

“Don’t worry, Dean, we just had to lock them up because of the children. You will get them back soon,” Hael assured. 

“Okay,” Dean replied slowly, a bit suspicious since he hadn’t heard any sounds proving there were any children around. In his experience, kids were never quiet. “You have a toilet here somewhere? I need to go.”

“Of course, the outhouse is behind this cabin.” Hael stood up and opened the door to the other part of the house and called, “Inias, would you take our guest to the outhouse, please?”

“I don’t need a babysitter for dumping a load,” Dean grumbled, but Hael ignored him.

“It’s no bother, Dean, don’t be silly. When you come back, I’ll have a nice bath for you. It will make you feel much better.”

Still grumbling under his breath Dean followed a young lanky man out of the small cabin and to the outhouse. Part of Dean expected Inias to try and follow him inside and that’d have been an _absolute hell no_ , but the young man just went to lean against a nearby tree without saying a word.

“Umm… you don’t need to wait for me, dude. I can find my way back to the cabin,” Dean tried, but Inias just crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow expectantly. 

“Fuck,” Dean cursed and went to his activities.

On their return trip back to the cabin, Dean walked as slowly as possible for a chance to look around. There were six little cabins and a larger shed in the clearing with a bonfire place in the middle. Dean could count five men and two women, all staring at him, until Inias ushered him inside.

“Hey, Inias, where did you find me the other night?”

Inias nodded to the left. “Behind those trees.”

“How far is the main road from there? That’s the direction I came from.”

“About half a mile to the road.”

“What? I tracked the wolf for hours and ended only half a mile from the road? What the actual fuck is happening here?” Dean growled under his breath, not sure if Inias heard him or not. In any case, Inias nudged him towards the cabin they had come from, and Dean decided it was best to comply for now. First possible chance, Dean was going to find his guns and get the hell out of this weird place.

Inside the cabin, Hael was already waiting with an old fashioned bath tub full of steaming water. The water was spiced with herbs, and Dean frowned at it. What’s with all the herbs here? Fortunately the smell wasn’t so bad for a green tinted bath. He knew he was filthy and stank, so the bath was definitely in order.

Hael left the room giving Dean some privacy, and Dean enjoyed the bath letting his muscles relax completely. He was half asleep by the time Hael came back so she washed his hair and rinsed off the remnant herbs still clinging to his hair. Then she wrapped him in a soft blanket and brought him a steaming bowl of some sort of stew. 

In the back of his mind Dean idly wondered why he was being so compliant for Hael. But fuck it, he had been on his own for so long he felt he deserved to be pampered and taken care of for once in his life.

He ate the stew in silence, Hael brushing his hair and applying some ointment to his head injury. Hael’s hands were so gentle that Dean leaned into the touch like an attention starved kitten. 

“You smell so good now, Dean, absolutely worth the god. Your head is healing well, so tomorrow we can let you go.”

“Mmm.. sounds good, Hael. Tomorrow you’ll give me my guns back, right?”

“Of course. Now let’s get you back to bed and you can drink some herbal tea before you sleep. It will help you heal even better.”

Dean didn’t see any reason to fight back as Hael led him back into bed and helped him drink a large cup of some sort of herbal tea. It didn’t taste very good, but Dean was determined to get it over with so he could leave first thing in the morning.

Just before sleep completely claimed him, Dean felt Hael’s hand petting his hair. “I’m so sorry, Dean, but we had no other choice. You will be a good offering to the god, and he will forgive us when we give him such a great gift, a precious omega of his own. Be a good omega, Dean.”

At hearing those alarming words, Dean tried with all his might to clear his head and wake up, but it was too late. Darkness claimed him and there was nothing he could do about it.

*~*~*

The first sound drifting through Dean’s consciousness was birds chirping somewhere above him. The sound was somewhat comforting, and Dean let his thoughts lazily surface in his mind. He felt totally relaxed, his muscles warm and pliant. Warmth spread through his whole body like he was floating in a warm pool. It was an enjoyable feeling, in this stage of upcoming heat at least… Wait, what?? Where did that come from? He hadn’t had any heats since his first one at 14. After that one horrible experience, he had firmly stayed on suppressants and scent-blockers, preferring to forget his unfortunate secondary gender that was rather uncommon anyway. A male omega. He was nothing like an ordinary omega with his tall frame, strong body and stubborn nature. Suppressants and scent-blockers helped him pass as an alpha or at least a beta to other people. Actually, he had almost forgotten his biology and that was perfectly fine by him. 

Why now, then? Taking his suppressants had always been a routine for him, he always took them right on time every day, no matter where he was or what he was doing. It was like second nature for him... but he had been unconscious for two days and his meds were in his backpack in the car. Fuck! No wonder he was feeling the first symptoms of the dreaded heat. It shouldn’t escalate so fast, though. What else had happened? Hael and her herbs! There must have been something in her concoctions to mess with his biology and… she had drugged him, on purpose. That was it! That’s why he couldn’t fight back when she had called him omega and talked about how he was going to be an offering to someone. Shit! What the hell was wrong with these people?

Hael had better have some answers and right fucking now! Dean attempted to get up from the bed, but found he couldn’t move. He blinked his eyes open… and froze. He was in the middle of the forest. Alone. He could turn his head a little, but nothing else. There were no ropes, nothing to bind him down, but yet he couldn’t move. His arms felt like they were glued to the arm rests and his legs to the footrests. He was laying on his stomach on a wooden contraption like a bench that had attachments for his arms and legs and he was totally naked. 

Panic was rising in his chest, threatening to drown him, and he struggled against his bindings. He desperately tried to wrestle himself free, yelling and cursing, his anger and despair fueled by the fact that there were wolves around the forest, and he was probably tied down as a sacrifice to the beasts. He couldn’t get free, couldn’t defend himself in any way, he was absolutely at the mercy of the wild animals.

After screaming his throat sore, his muscles aching and trembling from all the struggling, utterly frustrated, he finally calmed down enough to try and think about his situation logically. Why was he tied exactly this way? If he was meant to be fed to the wolves, wouldn’t he be lying on the ground then instead? Why weren’t there any visible ropes? Dean hated that he couldn’t work on something with real material, the rope could have been doable, but how do you fight something you can’t even see? So this meant that the people from the compound used magic. They were witches? Why did they need to use magic to tie him down? There had to be something here that responded to magic. What could that be?

Then there was the question, why him? Had they already sacrificed their own kids? Hael had mentioned the children, but Dean hadn’t seen any kids around. No, they couldn’t be that cruel. Did they choose Dean because he was something special, or just because he had happened to be there? If it was the former, what made him so special to make him a good sacrifice? Because let’s face it, that’s what he was, a sacrifice. But the bench wasn’t a usual altar for sacrificing anything. This was like some sort of… oh fuck. A breeding bench. And he was an omega nearing his heat.

This was definitely the deepest shit he’d been in like… ever. He was totally screwed, in all thinkable ways, many of which Dean didn’t even want to think about. Fuck! Dean just hoped that if he was to be sacrificed to an animal, he would meet a quick death. That the animal would be too hungry to play with their offering and would just outright kill him. Or worse, play with it’s new omega toy, trying to breed him. Just thinking about it made him shudder. Dean Winchester was a man who would never go down without a fight, but now it seemed there wouldn’t even be a fight. Full of dread and his blood running cold, Dean settled to wait for the inevitable.

*~*~*

Dean jolted awake when an intense cramp tore through his lower abdomen. He groaned and tried to shift his position, but of course he couldn’t move. He breathed through the pain and slowly opened his eyes. He must have dozed off for a while, because it was twilight already. There was no way to tell how long he had been trapped here in the middle of the forest. For all he knew, none of his captors had even bothered to check up on him. He was really thirsty, and wouldn’t mind getting some food either, but none of that was obviously happening. All he was getting at the moment was his heat getting worse, the burn in his stomach almost constant now, and the slick slowly dripping from his fluttering anus.

He turned his head as much as he could to scan the small clearing he was located in. He couldn’t see any movement around him, so obviously he hadn’t been discovered yet. Dean didn’t know if he should be relieved or alarmed; postponing his death or any other suffering just extended the time he was trapped here, dreading what was to come.

All of a sudden his eyes caught sight of something near the trees right in front of him. He had to crane his neck a bit uncomfortably to better see what it was. There was a man sitting cross legged in the shadows, silently observing him. Hot anger flared through Dean at seeing the man just sitting there, a man who obviously wasn’t going to do anything to help him.

“What the fuck are you staring at?” Dean snarled, irritated. 

The man looked around as if checking to see if there was anyone else around whom Dean could be talking to. Then he tilted his head to the side as if in puzzlement. “You?” he offered slowly.

“Yeah, I can see that. Why don’t you come help me get free of this fucking trap, huh?”

“I’m sorry, I can not do that.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Dean was getting angrier by the second. His discomfort wasn’t helping the situation, he felt feverish and his skin crawled, making him irritated and anxious.

“Are you with the witches who trapped me here?” Dean demanded.

“No.”

“Are you the god then?”

“I am not a god.”

“So who the hell are you then?”

The man stood up, and moved slowly towards Dean, stopping right in front of him. This close Dean could only see him from the waist down, his neck wouldn’t allow him to look any higher, but his scent - an alpha’s scent - filled Dean’s senses. The man was wearing loose trousers with leg pockets Dean had seen some hunters wear, and sturdy boots. The man crouched to get to eye level with Dean, and Dean found himself staring at stunning blue eyes framed with dark lashes and tousled raven hair.

“I’m Castiel.”

The deep gravel voice drew Dean’s eyes down to the luscious lips, and the delicious alpha scent wafting from the man caused his body to release a new gush of slick in excitement. Dean was mortified.

“Well then, Castiel, why don’t you be useful and help me out of this trap now!”

“I can’t. The bonds will release you when their purpose is fulfilled.”

“What purpose?” Dean squeaked, already guessing the purpose, being that he was bound onto the breeding bench.

“Breeding.”

“What the hell? I’m not a fucking breeder! I’m not some fucking sacrificial virgin for their screwed up rituals!” Dean yelled enraged at his helplessness at being unable to defend himself.

Castiel bowed his head looking sad. “You were not theirs to give. I’m so sorry.”

Something clicked in Dean’s head. “I was the offering meant for you, wasn’t I?”

“Yes.”

“What the hell, dude? You said yourself that you’re not their god! Why would they bribe you then?”

“They seem to think I can help them with the wolf problem.”

“You are a hunter?”

“No.”

“Could have fooled me. Are you always this chatty?” 

“No.”

Dean tried to laugh at the man’s one word answers, but groaned instead as another heat cramp coursed through his lower abdomen. It was getting really difficult to focus on anything else but the burning feeling inside him and the overwhelming desire to be filled and bred. 

“Listen, man, I need to get the hell out of this fucking bench and deal with the fucking heat, and then figure out what to do with the fucking wolves. I can help you with the wolves, but first I need to get free. Can you help me with that?”

“Such language is very unbecoming of an Omega.”

“Don’t you ever call me that again, dude! My name is Dean, I am not a fucking Omega!” Dean growled, frustrated. “And I need to get free of this bench about right fucking now!” Panic was rising in his chest, and Dean started struggling against the invisible bindings. 

Castiel put his hand on Dean’s shoulder, stroking it gently, although Dean could feel the hand on his shoulder trembling as well. Maybe resisting the urge to mount the omega in heat wasn’t too easy for the alpha to ignore as it had seemed. 

“Shhh, calm down. I’ll help you, Dean. There’s only one way to get you free, and that’s by breeding you, or at least creating the chemical reaction inside your body caused by alpha seed connecting with your system. If you don’t wish me to mount you, I can help you through this stage of your heat, and then afterwards we can try to find out how to reverse the binding spells without the breeding.” 

Dean rolled his eyes at the options, which were two equally bad ones for him, but honestly, there even wasn’t a choice to be made here. He just had to get free as soon as possible. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t stuck anything into his ass ever before, so having an alpha stick his dick in there wasn’t a big deal, right?

“Just do it,” Dean grunted. “Mount me or whatever it takes to free me, but whatever you do, don’t bite, okay? I’m not ready to get bonded.”

Castiel sighed as if relieved, then stood up and let his hand caress Dean’s back. “As you wish, Dean.”

As Castiel stood, Dean noticed that the alpha’s loose trousers were getting tight at the crotch, the large cock straining against the fabric. Dean tensed at the thought of that huge member impaling him, even if his heat would make it easier to take it. He just had to bear it if he wanted to get the hell out of this situation.

Castiel must have sensed his unease, because he stepped to the side and gently massaged Dean’s shoulders and back with both hands, murmuring, “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

Dean gritted his teeth and tried to force himself to relax. There was nothing he could do but soldier on anyway. 

Castiel continued his massage for a moment, slowly approaching Dean’s ass with every stroke. Dean found himself holding his breath every time Castiel’s fingers brushed near his cleft, but not quite dipping in. Two different emotions warred inside him; on the one hand he dreaded what was coming because it wasn’t happening on his own terms, but on the other hand his body craved the contact and the relief this alpha was going to give to his heat-fevered body. 

Castiel’s hands reached Dean’s buttocks and kneaded them gently before slipping one finger into the cleft and brushing Dean’s fluttering entrance. Another gush of slick welcomed the alpha’s finger and Dean heard a sharp intake of breath coming from behind him. Reflexively Dean tensed, expecting the alpha to charge ahead and ram his cock inside without warning, but none of that happened. Castiel just murmured something in a soothing tone and continued stroking over Dean’s entrance with gentle fingers until Dean relaxed again. All things considered, Dean should have been grateful for Castiel going slow and gentle with him, but all of a sudden an irritation grew inside Dean’s chest - he had never been a patient man, and this anticipation was killing him. 

“For fuck’s sake, get on with it, will you? I want to get free of this trap pronto!”

“But you are not ready yet. I will not hurt you, so calm down and let me prepare you properly.”

“I’m not a delicate flower, man, I can take it!” Dean snapped.

“I know you can, but there’s no need to rush things and cause you any pain.”

“I said I can take it, so hurry up dude!”

Dean gasped as one finger breached him, and soon another joined it. The intrusion didn’t hurt or burn at all, the heat had already taken care of it by preparing him for the upcoming event, but it effectively shut Dean up. His body had craved the touch so much, and now finally receiving what it wanted left Dean so relieved that he just enjoyed the feeling. But of course the damned alpha couldn’t leave it at that and had to spoil the moment.

“There you go. Feeling better? I promised I would help you, but we will do it at my pace, because I refuse to hurt you in any way. Remember, you are the one who’s tied up here.”

Dean felt a shiver through his body at hearing those words, and instead of cursing the man behind him for taking his time at preparing him, he suddenly felt excitement at his own helplessness. Where the fuck did that come from? His previous panic at being held down without his consent had receded entirely, and now he couldn’t wait for what Castiel wanted to do next. He moaned loudly as Castiel’s fingers brushed that sweet spot inside him and released a fresh gush of slick from him.

Dean heard a low chuckle behind him and blushed. He didn’t want to enjoy this as much as he did at the moment, and his body betraying him embarrassed him to no end. But damn, that man’s fingers were like magic, playing his body like a tuned instrument. If nothing else, Dean could appreciate it as it was.

Castiel added a third finger and slowly fucked him with them, hitting Dean’s sweet spot with every other stroke. Dean felt like he was going to explode soon if Castiel didn’t soon take out the big gun and give him what he really needed. 

“Please, come on already!” He pleaded wantonly, but instead of obeying him, Castiel only added a fourth finger. Dean felt pleasantly full, but his body wanted another organ filling him. His irritation flared up again, and he spat, “Fuck you!”

“Soon enough, Dean, be patient. I’m rather big so you’ll need more stretching.”

Dean groaned in despair, his body demanding more and having to settle for less, the itch under his skin starting to burn him from the inside. Dean surprised himself at whining pitifully - yes, it seemed the macho hunter Dean Winchester actually could fucking whine, but Dean would rather die than admit it out loud, thank you very much. Anyway, that caused Castiel to remove his fingers, and soon clothes rustling behind him told Dean that soon he was going to get what he’d whined for.

“I think you are ready now. Still want this?” A gruff voice asked as the blunt tip of an obviously big cock pressed against his entrance.

Dean bristled, “Fucking finally! I’ve been ready for a while if you haven’t noticed.”

Castiel snorted and started to push inside slowly. “Just say if it gets uncomfortable and I’ll stop immediately.”

“Don’t you dare,” Dean growled, but he had to admit that Castiel had been right with his excessive preparation. His cock was huge, or at least it felt like it was as it slowly slid inside Dean. It burned on it’s way in, but Dean wasn’t going to let anything come between him and the anticipated relief from the heat. As Castiel was fully sheathed inside him, Dean felt like a wave of fresh cool water flowed over him. The burning and itching under his skin receded and was replaced with pleasant tingling that only heightened his arousal. Dean wished that his hands were free to help his own poor dick trapped between his body and the smooth surface of the bench, but it couldn’t be helped at the moment. He couldn’t move an inch from his position and that turned out to be a problem when all he wanted to do was push back to Castiel, who was silently waiting for Dean to adjust to his size. However the twitching muscles in Dean’s back alerted Castiel to ask, “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just… you can move now. I’m good.”

As Castiel started to thrust shallowly into Dean, all the tension flew from Dean’s body. It was as if his body recognized it’s long denied purpose and welcomed the opportunity to finally work as it was planned for. Dean shivered at the realization and wished he could participate more in the coupling.

“Still good?” Castiel asked.

“Yeah. I need you to go harder, though.”

“Like this?” Castiel asked and firmly thrust deep inside Dean. Dean let out an involuntary squeak and nodded vigorously. “Yeah, just like that. Yeah.”

Castiel set a faster pace that made Dean moan as pleasure hit him in waves. Dean heard Castiel’s breathing becoming heavier and urged him on by chanting _“fuck, yeah, yeah, fuck”_ which seemed to spur the alpha on ever more. Soon he was slamming into Dean with such force that he would have jolted Dean off the surface if he wasn’t tied to it. Dean was dizzy with pleasure, his body finally getting what it had craved for so long, and he was barely aware of the incoherent words coming out of his mouth. Whatever it was, it was definitely having an effect on Castiel, for his rhythm turned erratic as his knot started to swell and catch at the rim of Dean’s entrance. Feeling the enlarged knot push at the rim tore a massive shudder of arousal and anticipation through Dean’s body, and he found himself barely able to breathe. He desperately wanted that knot inside him, but at the same time he feared it would be too much, that it would tear him to shreds. He was more aroused than ever before, even the hottest chick he’d had in his bed had never rocketed him to the heights he was currently soaring. His body was on fire, the pools of molten lava inside him gaining pressure and just waiting for the right moment to flow out of his body.

Dean gasped as the thick knot pushed past his rim and settled inside, locking them together as Castiel tumbled over the edge and dragged Dean with him. Dean cried out brokenly as his body exploded in a brilliant climax. He felt Castiel spurting his load inside him pulse after pulse, and Dean felt an electric current spread over his body, but he was too lethargic to do more than open his eyes for a fraction to see what was happening.

He was sated and glowing - wait! What the fuck? His skin was literally glowing like a bright light was trying to escape from the inside of his body through the pores of his skin. He fucking _glowed_!

Dean groaned and weakly rubbed his face with his hand... he was finally free! The spell had been broken with their copulation, so at least Castiel had been right about that. 

Dean tried to move under the weight of Castiel’s body on top of him, but to no avail. He tried to push Castiel away, but the alpha just held him tighter, and Dean didn’t have the strength to fight him off at the moment. His limbs were too heavy and his head was too groggy for his effort to be nothing more than a weak flex of muscles. 

“Shhh, stay still, Dean. We will be locked together by the knot for a while longer,” Castiel murmured somewhere near his ear, his breath tickling Dean’s skin.

“What’s with this glow?” Dean slurred, as if even his voice was exhausted.

“Glow?”

“Yes, glow! My skin is fucking glowing. Why?” Dean grumbled, but his voice didn’t have much bite in it.

Castiel stiffened on top of him and shifted. “Oh... Oh.”

“What?”

Castiel didn’t elaborate, and Dean was getting nervous. “Come on, man, tell me what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know how it’s possible, but I think we are somehow… bonded,” Castiel carefully explained.

“What???” Dean shrieked. “You didn’t bite me, did you?”

“No, I didn’t bite you as you requested. But the glow… and the handprint…” Castiel sounded dumbfounded.

“What handprint? What the hell are you talking about?” Dean tried to squirm to have a better look at his own body, but jolted back when the knot tugged painfully in his ass.

“It’s on your hip…” Castiel said weakly.

Dean groaned. He was freed from the binding spell but still tied up by the fucking knot, so he couldn’t even check himself for any marks or injuries. Pissed off, he settled back to his previous position without a word, sulking. God, his life was a fucking mess.

Castiel let him sulk in privacy without trying to talk to him, just waiting patiently for the knot to free them. When Dean felt Castiel finally slip free of him, he immediately bucked free from under the man and scrambled to his feet. Unfortunately his muscles were still so weak and stiff that he couldn’t stay on his feet more than two seconds before collapsing to the ground. 

Castiel tucked himself back into his pants and came over, offering his hand to help Dean back up. Dean grudgingly accepted the offer, but standing up felt so disorienting that he gratefully leaned into Castiel’s side. His ass was leaking from the sperm Castiel had pumped inside him, and Dean was mortified. Thankfully Castiel didn’t seem to notice, or at least didn’t show any indication if he did.

“I have a cabin nearby. Would you allow me to take you there to rest and clean up some?” Castiel asked carefully.

“Thanks, man. I’m really not in the mood for wandering around the woods naked and hungry. You have some food in your cabin?” Dean hopefully asked, his stomach growling loudly at the same time.

Castiel chuckled. “Of course I have food, I’ll make some dinner for us.”

Dean noticed that the glow of his skin had dimmed and it was barely noticeable now. The red handprint on his hip was angry red, though, looking as if it was burned, but otherwise he didn’t even feel it. Only a faint tingling revealed it was there at all.

“What do you think caused the handprint?” Dean had to ask. 

“It looks like some sort of bond mark, but I haven’t seen anything like it before. I’m sure we’ll find out sooner or later.” Castiel looked a bit uncomfortable and evasive, and Dean had a feeling he wasn’t telling him everything, but Dean didn’t push it for now. Now he needed food, cleaning up and rest, the answers could wait until later.

As they left the clearing, Dean leaning into Castiel, they followed a path starting from the other side of the clearing. They had moved only few steps into the woods when Dean spotted something familiar piled up under a tree. It was Dean’s clothes, cleaned and neatly folded in a pile next to his boots. His guns were nowhere in sight though. 

Castiel grabbed the clothing in the crook of his free hand, the boots hanging from his fingers.

“Do you want to dress right now, or would you prefer a bath before dressing?”

Dean considered for a moment, then decided, “If your cabin isn’t far away, I’ll manage until there. I really need to clean up before I get dressed.”

Castiel only nodded and proceeded to lead him forward, keeping a firm grip around his waist.

The cabin wasn’t far away. It was a small, old looking cabin, located next to a stream with crystal clear water. On their way Dean could see a small garden behind the cabin and a small tool shed on the side.

Castiel dropped Dean’s clothes in the chair on the front porch and his boots next to the doorway. Then he opened the door and led him inside. The cabin was basically only one room on the inside. The kitchen with a wood burning cookstove was located at the left side of the large room, and the right side of the room was dominated by a bed that Dean estimated was a queen size by the look of it. On the back wall, a bit to the left opposite the door was a partitioned section holding an old-fashioned bath tub Dean immediately latched his eyes on.

“Man, I don’t think I can manage filling that tub if I have to carry the water from the stream with a bucket. I’m going to wash up at the stream, okay?”

“No need for that. Just sit down and I’ll prepare the bath for you.” Castiel offered him a chair at the table and went to dabble in the bathroom. Dean couldn’t see what he was doing in there, but soon he heard gurgling water and not long after that Castiel stepped back into the room and declared, “Bath is ready.”

The bath was perfect. Dean relaxed in the bath tub, leaning back and moaning from the pleasure of warm water caressing his aching muscles. Castiel had added some oils into the water, and their scent relaxed him even further. Dean nodded off and through his haze heard Castiel puttering around the kitchen, probably making some dinner as he had promised.

Dean woke up when Castiel gently shook his shoulder and told him dinner was ready. He helped Dean to the table and served him some sort of soup. Dean was too tired to actually care what he was eating as long as it silenced his growling stomach, so as soon as his plate was empty, Castiel ushered him to the bed, tucking him in. Dean was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The room was dark when Dean woke up to the cramps intensifying in his lower abdomen. He groaned and shifted in the soft bed, trying to find a comfortable position. He bumped into a warm body sleeping next to him, and everything came back to him in a rush. He was in Castiel’s cabin, in Castiel’s bed, and he was still in heat. Fucking perfect.

Castiel turned to face him and groggily blinked his eyes open. “What is it, Dean? What do you need?”

“Hurts…” Dean whispered and curled into a fetal position. His skin crawled and burned at the same time and slick coated the back of his thighs again. There was no doubt; his body craved the alpha, again.

“Let me help you, okay?” Castiel murmured, and Dean could only nod his assent before the next cramp hit and he curled into a ball. Castiel swiftly prepared him, and this time he didn’t take so much time with doing it as their first time. Soon Dean found himself floating in the hormone-induced cloud nine with a huge knot swelling inside him and taking all the pain away.

*~*~*

Dean didn’t remember much of the last few days as he woke up to a bright morning, and feeling like his normal self again. Only hazy glimpses from here and there told him that he had suffered through an epic heat, but fortunately he’d had an alpha to take care of him, soothing his feverish need and holding him afterwards, making him drink and eat something in between the manic fucking periods.

Dean stretched long and thoroughly while enjoying the quiet morning in the bed. Although the bed outright reeked of sweat, sex and epic loads of semen, it did nothing to lessen Dean’s relief that the heat was finally over. 

He looked around, but didn’t see Castiel anywhere inside the cabin. He pushed the covers aside and slowly got out of the bed, stretching once more and standing up and then popping the joints of his neck back into place. He felt good, actually very good, considering what he had gone through these past few days. The only marginally negative aspect of his morning was the slight tingling sensation on his hip, where the angry handprint remained. Though it had only been on his hip for a few days the mark appeared to be healing.

He went to search for his clothes and found them on the chair next to the bathroom, but then he looked at himself and decided against dressing just yet. He was covered in dried bodily fluids that started flaking, and he knew he couldn’t put fresh clothes on if he didn’t clean up first. 

The bath tub was empty, so Dean grabbed a bar of soap and a towel, and headed outside towards the stream. It was a nice day outside, not too cold, so he could freshen up at the stream. 

He was almost done with cleaning up when a voice startled him from behind.

“Now that’s a welcoming sight I could live with.”

Dean turned around and found Castiel standing by the stream, wearing only his pants and boots.

“Good to see you feeling better,” Castiel added sheepishly after receiving a glare from Dean.

Dean softened somewhat as he watched the alpha’s hangdog appearance. Dean could not deny that the alpha had been an incredible help to him. His gentle ministrations had helped Dean through heat, something that he had only experienced once before, sadly without successful breeding. He looked at the alpha and held the bar of soap out to him.

“Would you maybe wash my back?” Dean asked and the alpha nodded, removing his clothing at lightning speed, revealing his vast flaccid cock. It swung left and right, gently bouncing off his thighs as he made his way towards Dean.

“This will really help, I have never been very limber,” Dean said as he turned his back on the alpha.

“After the last few days I would beg to differ.” Dean felt his cheeks warm as he blushed, hearing the slight taunt in the alpha’s voice.

As Castiel carefully washed the stale cum from Dean’s back, the hunter sighed deeply.

“Can you help them?” Dean asked.

“Help whom?” The alpha asked.

“The coven, they did offer me to you in the hope that you will help them with the wolves.”

“No. I helped them once, and as a result they ended up worshipping me as a god for 200 years when all I wanted was to be left in peace, like the peace I had in my previous life.”

“200 years? Previous life?”

“Yes Dean”.

“How old are you?”

“I have lived a hundred of your lifetimes on this planet.”

“What?” Dean asked as Castiel stepped away from him.

“The time for questions is past. I’ve prepared breakfast for us, let’s eat.” And with that the alpha made his way back to the cabin. Dean stood dumbfounded, staring after the retreating alpha. Then he wrapped the towel around his waist and followed Castiel back to the cabin.

Castiel had prepared a simple breakfast; bread, honey and eggs with coffee, but Dean found himself so hungry and the food tasted so good that he didn’t have time to miss any bacon or pies while he devoured his meal. Castiel watched him closely while Dean inhaled his food, only picking at his own breakfast, but Dean didn’t let his staring bother him. The alpha had seen him much worse than this.

After his plate was empty and his stomach comfortably full, Dean pushed his plate away and allowed Castiel to refill his coffee mug. Then he leaned back in his chair and focused on Castiel.

“Now would be a good time for you to tell me what the hell is happening in this fucking forest.”

Castiel visibly flinched and averted his eyes from Dean. He stood up and started to clear the table, but Dean grabbed him by his wrist to stop him. “I mean it, Cas. Tell me. Please.” 

Castiel seemed somewhat taken aback by Dean’s abrupt move. Being so forceful was uncommon for an omega. But then everything about Dean was uncommon, he looked nothing like an omega, and he sure did not act like any omega he had ever met. Dean caught a faint whiff of arousal coming from Castiel as Dean held his wrist firmly in his hand. It definitely seemed that Castiel didn’t mind some rough handling coming from his omega. 

What the hell? Since when did Dean start thinking of himself as Castiel’s omega? And since when did an alpha allow an omega to treat him rough? Dean frowned, perhaps he wasn’t the only one who didn’t fit into his biological role.

Castiel sighed and rubbed his face with his other hand. “It’s a long story.”

Dean rubbed his thumb gently on the inside of Castiel’s wrist, then released him. “I have time. Now shoot.”

Castiel returned to his chair and sat down. Silence hung heavily between them as Castiel seemed to contemplate where to begin his story. Finally he lifted his eyes to Dean’s and blue met green in an intense stare. Then Castiel broke the silence by clearing his throat.

“I suppose the best way to start this story is to reveal to you what I am,” Castiel stated. “I am an angel of the Lord.” He looked down at Dean, obviously looking for a reaction to him admitting that he was a supernatural creature. Considering Dean’s line of work it was expected.

Dean frowned at the Alpha’s statements. “Are you kidding me? Are you talking Della Reese, glowing hair, angel of the lord?”

“I don’t understand that reference Dean.” Castiel looked at Dean, his face perplexed.

“It doesn’t matter, continue with your story.” Dean shook his head.

“God, as you know him, abandoned heaven a long time ago, and since then heaven and by extension, the angels have been in disarray. Infighting and violence is common.” 

Dean frowned even deeper and Castiel sighed. “I suppose the matters of heaven have no bearing on this tale.”

Castiel filled their cups again and sat down.

“A thousand years ago, there was only one species of human, homo sapiens, the only surviving hairless ape, the victorious species. Throughout human existence, we as angels spent our time observing from the darkness. Never intervening in human affairs. Until a rumour surfaced that God had taken up residence on the planet. We began searching for our Father, taking vessels for the first time.”

“You possessed people?” Dean interrupted.

“In a way yes, but only those who were weak willed, sinful or willing to be vessels.” Castiel gestured down to his body.

“So weak people, drunks and sluts or church goers?” Dean said, looking Cas up and down.

“Essentially yes, the weak willed and the sinners provided effective vessels as they allowed us to explore the world without too many questions relating to our behaviour.”

“I understand, continue,” Dean said, noting that he would have been one of those easily possessed.

“We spent many years searching for our Father, but the possession of a vessel had an unintended side effect that none of the angels foresaw. Some of us, whether through some flaw or weakness of will became unnaturally attached to our vessels. We began to explore human behaviours. Like eating, and swimming…”

“And sex.” Dean couldn’t keep the smile from his face.

“Yes, and sex. The great drug. While experiencing these human emotions the affected angels… changed the biological nature of their vessels. The vessels began to revert to semi-animalistic behaviours; ‘de-evolving’ in some ways. The higher ranking angels began to describe these vessels as ‘tainted’. But at first it appeared to be a limited problem.”

“Let me guess, more and more angels began to explore their humanity?” Dean opined.

“Yes, and it was frowned upon by the higher ranking angels. However the search for God was deemed more important, and we were left to entertain our vices, so long as we continued the search. But then, some of the angels began to take wives and husbands. Living normal human lives instead of continuing their search. The lives of these angels remained unnoticed for some time, even when the first children were born. Usually nephilim are forbidden; however, something about these children was different, they were not nephilim but not entirely human either. We noticed that the children born from these unions were animalistic in their sexual natures, much like the vessels that birthed them. Their bodies and minds functioned like animals, due to the ‘de-evolution’ caused by the angel possessing their parent.”

“And these were the first alphas and omegas?” Dean asked.

“Yes, children born where the father was the vessel became known as alphas, while children born from a possessed female became omegas. But I believe that those angels who were the parents of these children were the first alphas, since the knots were already present in our bodies.”

“Unbelievable. What happened then?” The whole history of the world had changed for Dean, none of this was documented in any book.

“The new species escaped heaven’s notice, many more angels took on humanity, and as a result alphas and omegas spread across the planet, this period became known as ‘the spawning’. During this time a wise angel named Metatron began to examine the new species. He discovered that some part of an angel’s grace was passed down through the generations of alphas and omegas. He also learnt that should any angel ever breed with an omega from his or her own bloodline, or I suppose it would be a ‘grace-line’, that it would spark something that could only be described as a holy evolution. Bringing the omega and the angel to a new level, elevating them and their offspring to something higher and stronger than any angel, but lower and weaker than God. They would become demigods of some kind.” Castiel paused to take a sip from his rapidly cooling coffee.

“I bet that got heaven’s attention,” said Dean as he drummed his fingertips on the table deep in thought.

“Indeed it did, upon Metatron’s discovery an angel named Naomi was assigned to attend to the ‘problem’.”

“I suppose by ‘attend’ you mean she was assigned to kill all the alphas and omegas”.

“That was the original plan yes, however the subspecies had been breeding for so long since the spawning that it was impossible to stop the spread, more were born than could be killed. Thus Naomi decided they would allow the subspecies to exist and instead she would eradicate the angels who had spawned the subspecies.”

“How many of you were there?”

“There is no certainty as to how many of us started families. Naomi began her extermination, but through his contacts in heaven Metatron heard of the plan, and being the scribe of God he knew things no other angel knows. Including a way to protect and hide himself from angels like Naomi. He set to work immediately and created a safe circle beneath this forest, permanently etched into the earth, where no angel could ever find him. The only consequence being that he could never leave the circle or share his knowledge with another angel.”

“So he created a circle to keep himself safe but he left all of you to be killed? He sounds like a dick.” Dean was flabbergasted.

“Yes.” Castiel became pensive, staring into his coffee.

“So how did you get in?”

“Metatron stayed in the circle for a long time, but two hundred years ago Naomi had almost eradicated all the original angels, there were only a few of us still alive. She found Metatron’s circle, and deducing that he was in there she began to endlessly work on a way to get in. Metatron had taken another wife, who had birthed him a son. Naomi somehow discovered this and lured the boy outside the circle, thus forcing Metatron to exit the circle to save the child. He and Naomi fought an angelic battle, not too far from here.” 

Castiel sighed, getting up to fill the coffee yet again but found the coffee pot almost empty. He added more wood into the stove and started brewing another pot of fresh coffee.  
Dean sat patiently, waiting for Castiel to finish.

“What happened?”

“The boy was fatally injured during the battle, as was Metatron. However, before Naomi could smite him he banished her from the Earth with one of God’s runes. I was nearby and felt the banishing. I arrived to find both the boy and Metatron dying in a woman’s arms. Metatron immediately knew who I was. He was too weak and injured to heal either himself or the boy and he pleaded with me, offering me entrance into his sanctum in exchange for me saving the boy. I agreed and both of us kept to the bargain.”

“And that is why the coven sees you as a god, because you performed a miracle.”

“Yes, and I have kind of been around for two hundred years, so that also strengthens the idea.”

“That makes sense. What happened to Metatron?”

“He let me into his sanctum. I had a million questions, I needed to know how to get out of the sanctum again, how to maintain it, how long Naomi had been banished. However, Metatron perished before he could explain any of it to me.”

“And now you are stuck in here forever?”

“Not forever but for a long time. Naomi is relentless, I am sure as soon as the banishment wears off she will be back.”

“But what about your bloodline, surely if you become a demigod she will back off?”

“I have considered it but that will be impossible.”

“Why?”

“I have not kept track of my bloodline since I began running from Naomi. In the six hundred years since then my bloodline could be anyone and anywhere. It may even have died out. I may have been one of the first angels to stray, but in the time since the spawning I have only taken three partners, of which only two were women.”

“Why?”

“Exploring our humanity didn’t just change the vessels, it changed the angels as well. Many angels took vessels who were filled with lust and hatred. However, the vessel I chose was a devout man, never unfaithful or cruel. At the time he was considered strange and abnormal. His devotion left me wanting a profound bond with someone before being with them. However, I have felt something like it with those past partners but nothing like the true profound bond I crave.” 

Castiel cast a forlorn look at Dean, a twinge of sadness flashed on his face. Dean reached out and touched the alpha’s arm.

“So what about the circle, how long will you be safe before it needs to be repaired?”

“It is already beginning to weaken, I have noticed that the power is fading. I estimate it will only be a few more years before Naomi will be able to find me.”

“What will you do?” 

Castiel reached into his pocket and pulled out a large, triangular silver knife.

“This is an angel blade, it is one of the few items in existence that can kill an angel. I pulled it from Metatron after the battle.”

“You are going to kill her?”

“I have never killed an angel, and I pray that I will never have to. However I will not give up my existence. Falling in love with my humanity is not wrong and I will not die for it.”

Dean noticed Castiel’s hand trembling on the table, and covered it with his own hand, squeezing it gently.

“I might not know any other angels personally, but I know this: you are a good man, Cas, and I’ll do anything I can to help you.”

Dean was a bit surprised at the words coming out of his mouth, but he couldn’t deny it: somehow by instinct he knew Cas was a good man and he could trust him. Cas had already helped him in the woods, and brought him to his cabin to take care of him during his heat, doing it all without making Dean think it was an obligation for him to help Dean. Castiel had a good heart. 

Learning about Castiel’s past was a lot to take in, but all his life Dean had heard and seen things that would have been impossible to comprehend just by common sense. Things weren’t always what they seemed, just like Dean himself. 

Castiel had turned his hand palm up, and now their palms were against each other, Dean could feel a familiar tingle on his skin, the handprint on his hip felt like it was moving on his skin. He frowned and looked up at Castiel, who had tilted his head to the side and watched intensely at their united hands. Dean was utterly fascinated by the innocent, confused look that expression gave to Castiel, and he found that he was melting at the sensation.

Oh, fuck, that was too ‘chick flick moment’ to Dean’s liking, and the second he realized that, he snatched his hand from Castiel’s as if burned. Castiel flinched at Dean’s sudden reaction and the hurt in his eyes made Dean feel like an asshole. Dean shivered, and although the shivering had nothing to do with cold and everything to do with the sensation of Castiel’s skin against his own, it made him remember that he was still wearing only his towel.

“Err… I think I need to get dressed. Never know who’s coming to visit, right?” Dean’s attempt for humor failed terribly, but it gave him an excuse for leaving the table and moving to the other side of the cabin to get dressed. Castiel stayed in his seat, frozen in place.

“Hey, Cas, I was wondering. Can you give me a tour around your kingdom? You have a nice place here, after all.”

Castiel turned to look at Dean, his small smile looking a bit forced. “It’s not much, but it would be my pleasure to show you around, Dean.”

Castiel stood up and cleared the breakfast table while Dean finished dressing. Then they wandered out of the cabin to the bright sunlight. Dean followed Castiel to the garden, which seemed to be his pride and joy. Castiel explained every plant he was growing in there, neat rows of vegetables and herbs in carefully weeded beds. The soil seemed fertile, and Dean wondered if Castiel used his mojo to keep him self-sufficient with fresh vegetables. Probably not, since he had to keep a low profile and hide from that Naomi bitch.

Then Castiel tried to introduce Dean to the two hives full of bees, but that’s where Dean put his foot down and outright refused to step any closer. Dean and bees didn’t get along at all, and the rare times he had stumbled across these yellow-striped devils had ended up rather stingingly for Dean’s part. Castiel, on the other hand, was getting along perfectly well with them if him being covered with bees was anything to go by. 

“You can come closer, Dean, they are perfectly harmless. I told them to be nice to you,” Castiel offered, but Dean wasn’t going anywhere near them. Castiel seemed a bit disappointed, and Dean felt oddly regretful for being the cause of the disappointment. After finishing his convention with the bees, Castiel led Dean to another part of his garden. There were rows of raspberry bushes, strawberry plants and a few fruit trees, and Dean perked up at seeing them.

“You can bake your own pies with these, man!”

Castiel chuckled. “I can do that, just for you, Dean.”

Dean grinned. “Cool. I’ll definitely hold you to that, Cas. But seriously, you can’t live on just vegetables and fruits, can you? What about meat? Do you have cattle hidden around here somewhere?”

“I can manage perfectly fine with just vegetables and fruits, but the coven occasionally brings me dairy products, bread and flour, and sometimes even some meat. I don’t want to kill animals for food if I can manage perfectly well without it.”

Dean frowned. “So you accept gifts from the coven but you refuse to help them with the wolves just because you want to be left in peace? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”

“I can’t do much for them anyway, not without using my grace. I can’t risk being revealed by using my grace. It could be dangerous for them as well. In the last few weeks I have sensed that there is another presence close to the circle, I can sense the grace of another angel. It might possibly be Naomi, she may have sensed that the circle is weakening. I have observed the wolves on the few times I have seen them and I fear that they might just be agents of this other angel.”

“But now you have me here. I can help with the wolves, supernatural or not. I just need my guns back. The coven took them from me. I’d be happy to shoot the wolves, but not the wolf boy, if I can avoid it. Can we get my guns back?”

Castiel smiled. “I will get your guns back, Dean. Anything you need.”

Dean felt huge relief at hearing that. He always felt sort of naked without his guns.

“What do you think of that wolf boy, Cas? Is he a ghost or what? I didn’t see him clearly enough to decide.”

“He isn’t a spirit, or a ghost, as far as I can sense. He might be a human. However, he’s not one of the coven. He seems to live with the wolves.”

“That’s strange. He and the wolves led me into this goddamn forest in the first place, and then I got lost in here. I never get lost, ever! How did that happen? Did you have something to do with it, Cas?”

“I promise I had nothing to do with it. Maybe the circle affected your sense of direction and left you disoriented. I don’t really know, but I’m sure we will find out soon enough. Right now, you are safe in here with me.”

Dean grinned. “You’re saying that just to get laid again, aren’t you?” He winked and was rewarded at seeing Castiel blush. “I knew it!” Dean felt excitement bubbling in his chest.

Castiel didn’t answer, just averted his eyes from Dean instead, crouching down and busying his hands with plucking some weeds off the ground. However, Dean wasn’t going to let him off the hook just yet. Dean had felt this weird yearning for the alpha since the copulation at the breeding bench, even after the sex marathon known as heat, and he wanted to know if Castiel felt the same. Dean couldn’t explain it, but he couldn’t deny it either. He admitted it a bit grudgingly, but he wanted Castiel and yearned for Castiel to want him back. 

“Oh, come on Cas, why don’t you admit it? If you want me, just say it!”

Castiel lifted his gaze and carefully met Dean’s eyes, his cheeks tinted pink but his eyes determined. “Yes Dean, I desire you. I have desired you ever since we mated in the forest.”

Dean smirked. “Well then, why don’t you do something about it?” 

Castiel seemed to perk up at Dean’s teasing, and before Dean could react, Castiel had yanked him down by his wrist and rolled them over so that Dean was on his back on the ground and Castiel on top of him.

“Is this what you had in mind?” Castiel asked before crushing their mouths together in a searing kiss.

Dean felt the soft grass under him and the comforting strength of Castiel’s body on top of him, the alpha kissing him with almost feverish desperation. Dean shivered in pleasure at the sensations flooding through his body; it all felt so perfect, so right, and Dean was thinking that maybe, just maybe, this was what it was meant to be, what he was meant to be.

All his life he had fought against his biology, fought against the stereotype of an omega and trying to be something else he wanted to be. His dad had always pressed him to be a strong and fearless hunter, there was no room for any soft omega traits. Dean had always been kind and caring by nature, but from a young age he had learned not to show it too much, or heaven forbid, talk about it. His dad would have had a fit if he did. Sam and Bobby took Dean’s secondary gender in stride, but John Winchester was another matter entirely. Once Dean had presented as an omega, his dad had locked him in his room for his first heat to deal with it by himself. Afterwards his dad had tossed him a pack of suppressants, grunting something about using them from now on, and ever since he had worn a permanent frown whenever looking at his eldest son. Dean knew he had been a disappointment to his father, and that had only spurred him on at proving he could be whatever his dad wanted him to be, no matter what his secondary gender was.

But now, being with Castiel felt like the most natural thing, like he was tasting freedom for the first time in his adult life, and he was accepted just the way he was. He also realized that Castiel had stopped kissing him and was staring down at him questioningly..

“What?” Dean snapped defensively.

Castiel quirked a brow. “You think too much.” Then he ducked back down and claimed Dean’s mouth again, deepening the kiss and making Dean’s toes curl and blood sing from pure delight.

Castiel took the lead and for once Dean didn’t have any problems with it. He didn’t need to be in charge with Castiel, it wasn’t expected of him, and it amazed him how fine he was with it. 

Dean shivered in anticipation as Castiel’s full weight settled on top of him, and he instinctively spread his legs to allow the alpha to slot himself there for better access. Castiel’s hungry kisses were driving Dean mad, and when his hands started roaming under Dean’s shirt, all other thoughts left Dean’s mind but the raw want for the other man.

As Castiel’s hands roamed Dean’s chest, reaching his nipples and pinching them, Dean arched into the touch, wanting more. He thrust his crotch against Castiel’s, seeking more friction for his rapidly burgeoning erection, and Castiel responded with a firm downward thrust for his part. To Dean’s disappointment, that was as far as Castiel would go, but Dean wasn’t going to settle just for some kissing and groping when his whole body was demanding more.

“Come on, Cas! I want you inside me,” Dean breathed between kisses.

“You are still sore from your heat,” Castiel mumbled against Dean’s neck where he was sucking a love bite. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

“Bullshit, and you know it! I’m good enough and besides, you can always heal me.”

“Not without using my grace, and the herbs don’t heal you fast enough.”

“Cas! I want you!” Dean would have been embarrassed at his own whining if he had any control over his own mouth at the moment. However, that seemed to do the trick and make Castiel obey him.

Castiel reached for Dean’s jeans, opening them with one hand and pulling them down far enough for Dean’s erection to bounce free. Then Castiel wrapped his hand around Dean’s shaft, stroking it a few times. Dean tried to wiggle his hips to push his jeans further down, but Castiel used his other hand to keep Dean in place.

“Let me do this my way, okay?”

Then he lowered himself towards Dean’s crotch and in one fluid movement, swallowed Dean’s shaft down his throat.

Dean threw his head back at the sensation, arching his back and moaning loudly. Castiel’s mouth felt divine, and the tricks he could do with his tongue… Dean could only let his brain shut down and enjoy the ride, and what a ride it was! Embarrassingly soon Dean felt the telltale signs of the impending orgasm, his skin flushing pink and tingling, and heat pooling low in his belly. He managed to breath “Cas… fuck” and then the heat in his belly exploded into an inferno, and he was coming down Castiel’s throat. 

Castiel swallowed every drop and then licked him clean as Dean laid boneless on the ground, his whole body thrumming with satisfaction. Castiel rested his head on Dean’s thigh, his hand gently stroking Dean’s flank. Everything felt so perfect that it took some time for Dean to remember that Cas hadn’t gotten his release yet.

Dean pushed his fingers into the mane of Castiel’s hair and scratched his blunt nails against his scalp. Castiel hummed in response, and Dean felt a warmth swell in his chest.

“You are amazing, Cas. Let me reciprocate, okay?” 

Castiel turned his head to look up at Dean and shook his head. “I’m fine, Dean. I wanted to give you pleasure, you don’t need to reciprocate.”

“What if I want to?” Dean asked even if he was a bit nervous about the act he was volunteering for. He had never given head before, but he knew what he liked himself, so it couldn’t be so difficult, could it?

Castiel scrutinized him a moment with his bright blue eyes as if deciphering if he was telling the truth, but then he nodded and rolled over on his back. “Only if you are sure, Dean.”

Dean’s hands trembled as he worked to open Castiel’s trousers, and it didn’t help that Castiel was watching his every movement keenly, leaning back onto his elbows to better see what Dean was doing.

Dean managed to free Castiel’s cock which was already straining against the fabric and threatening to burst through the seams. He hadn’t seen it fully erect before, not really, because in the haze of the heat he hadn’t been in any condition to pay attention to things like that, if they weren’t filling him up. Now, as he stared at the huge alpha cock in front of his eyes, he was impressed. Mostly at himself at being able to take that monster up his ass. 

Now, though, he had a mission to accomplish. Tentatively at first, Dean licked the massive shaft from root to top. When it didn’t feel or taste too bad he repeated it. He was rewarded with a low moan from Castiel, and that encouraged him to take the head into his mouth and suck lightly. The small noises coming out of Castiel’s mouth spurred him on and he wanted to try every trick he had ever loved when he had been on the receiving end of a BJ. So he licked, sucked, twirled his tongue around the glans and swallowed the shaft down his throat as far as he could without choking. The rest of the shaft that didn’t fit into his mouth he covered with his palm, stroking it in sync with his sucking. Eventually his jaws began to ache but he hardly noticed it as he realized how much he actually didn’t mind giving head. It was exhilarating and a powerful feeling, to be able to give someone so much pleasure. Castiel definitely was enjoying himself if the sounds he was making and his flexing muscles and arching back were any indication at all. And when he finally climaxed into Dean’s mouth, the amount of spunk was almost ridiculous. It flooded his mouth, and even though Dean tried courageously to swallow it, most of it flowed down his chin.

Dean released Castiel’s cock from his mouth and wiped his chin with the back of his hand. Then he chanced a glance up at Castiel. The alpha was looking at him with half-lidded eyes, his jaw still a bit slack from his orgasm, his breath still hitched. 

“Any good?” Dean asked playfully, and Castiel responded by dragging Dean up his torso and kissing him passionately.

“More than good,” Castiel breathed into Dean’s mouth and cuddled him even tighter into his chest.

They stayed like that for a long time, enjoying the intimacy of the moment and basking in the afterglow of their pleasure. Dean could sense the deep contentment and happiness flowing from Castiel through their bond. That calmed his own mind and quieted any of his remaining doubts about this supposed bonding with the alpha. Considering all the facts and what was currently happening between them, everything pointed towards not only a common bond between an alpha and an omega, but a profound bond, which was much more rare. Although it had been only a few days from their initial mating, Dean had come to accept their bond deep down without a doubt. 

That should have been alarming, considering that Dean had never thought that he would mate and bond with anyone, much less with an alpha who would be in charge in their relationship. Dean Winchester was not a submissive, and he would never give control of his life over to anyone, not anymore, now that he was finally independent from his dad. With Castiel, though, it already seemed different than he’d have ever thought possible. Castiel seemed to consider him as an equal and respected his wishes, although he couldn’t seem to help but pamper and protect him whether it was needed or not. Typical alpha in that regard. However, Dean could take care of himself perfectly well, and if needed, he could watch out for Castiel as well. They could be a great team together.

“You think too much again, Dean,” Castiel muttered into Dean’s hair and squeezed him tighter.

“You can hear my thoughts?”

“Not your actual thoughts, no. I get bits and pieces, almost as though I was listening to you speak in the middle of a gale. But I believe if either of us really concentrated I would be able to hear your thoughts. Are you worried about something?”

“Not worried, just thinking.” Dean felt sort of exposed by Castiel’s ability to sense his thoughts. He tugged his jeans back up and helped Castiel to do his own trousers. Only after that could he continue with this line of thought, cuddling back into Castiel’s side. “Have you ever thought about moving out of this circle? I mean, if that Naomi bitch doesn’t come back or she is defeated for good, could you think of moving out of here?”

“Why would I want to leave? I have everything I need here and I like my peace. Why do you ask?”

“I dunno, maybe because we seem to be bonded now and my life is elsewhere. I’m a hunter, remember? Not exactly stay at home type of work. And I guess we need to stay close to each other, because long distance relationships won’t work for us, right?”

“You are right. This is something we need to work out soon.”

“Mmmm, yes, but not… wait, what’s that?” Dean had spotted a creature standing at the tree line watching them intensely. 

Castiel turned his head to take a look as well, and tensed. “It’s one of the wolves.” He jumped to his feet and dragged Dean along. “This is the closest they have ever managed before. Something’s happening.”

They stared at the wolf, and the wolf stared defiantly back at them. Then it whirled around and disappeared quietly into the woods.

“Come on, Cas, let’s follow it!” Dean exclaimed, but Castiel turned the opposite direction toward the cabin.

“What the hell, man? The wolf went that way!” Dean burst out frustrated.

“We can’t follow it empty handed, we need some weapons to defend ourselves if needed.” 

“My weapons will do just fine, let’s grab them from the coven on our way!”

“We need to hurry then or else we might lose track of the wolf.” Castiel started to jog towards the coven’s compound and Dean followed him in excitement. Now they were finally getting somewhere with the wolves.

Castiel jogged all the way to the compound, not stopping until they were standing in the middle of the compound yard. They didn’t have to wait long until Inias, followed by Hael, came out of the cabin where Dean had been treated just a few days ago. 

Then one of the men Dean had seen at his bedside earlier came out from other cabin and strode towards them like the leader of the pack he obviously was. As he reached the spot where Dean and Castiel were standing, the man bowed his head. “This is an honour, my Lord. How can I be of help?”

Castiel glanced at Dean and rolled his eyes. Then he nodded curtly at the man. “I need my mate’s weapons that you took from him. Now.”

“As you wish, my Lord.” Then he beckoned at Inias, who disappeared into the cabin without hesitation and a moment later came out carrying Dean’s guns and the small ammo box Dean had stashed into his pocket. Also Inias bowed deeply in front of them before trying to hand the guns to Castiel, but Castiel gestured to give them directly to Dean. When he had his precious guns in his own hands, Dean checked them quickly. Everything was as they should be, both guns fully loaded and ready to use just like they had been when Dean had stumbled upon the coven.

Dean nodded at Castiel as a confirmation that everything was in order, and Castiel turned on his heel without a word and headed back to the woods, Dean hot on his heels.

“We should have at least thanked them,” Dean grunted as they had reached the path going towards where the wolf had disappeared.

“Why would I do that? They had no right to take your guns from you in the first place.” 

“They were just cautious. Maybe they feared that I might shoot them all.”

“And rightly so,” Castiel snapped a bit testily. “Now, shush. We are near the spot where the wolf disappeared.”

They moved stealthily towards the spot where they had seen the wolf earlier, but of course the beast wasn’t there anymore. Castiel gestured for Dean to follow him deeper into the woods as if he’d had a scent trail, his movements sure and determined. As Dean glanced at Castiel, he noticed the concentrated expression on his face, so maybe the alpha had some sort of angelic hunch working for him.

They continued through the undergrowth of the forest as silently as possible, weaving around the trees and avoiding any clearings on their way. They had been on the trail almost an hour, when Cas pointed out that they were getting dangerously close to the edge of the angelic circle. Dean was about to ask what exactly defined the border when Castiel abruptly stopped and held out a hand to keep Dean behind him. Then he pointed at the front of them and crouched, simultaneously pulling his angel blade out of the sheath.

Dean crouched next to Castiel, readying his shotgun as he peered through a bush to see what was ahead of them. He counted four wolves, two of them lying down just inside the den while two others stood guard outside the entrance. Dean couldn’t see if there were more wolves inside the den, but from years of hunting animals as well as monsters Dean had learnt that wolves could travel in packs of nine or more. If that was the case there were probably five more wolves hiding somewhere in the forest. 

Dean craned his neck, staring at the wolves. He felt the wind brush his face, confirming that they were upwind from the pack. He leaned closer to Castiel but before he could whisper into the angel’s ear a scent attacked his nostrils. Dean frowned, he was sure it was a smell, but something about it tickled deep inside his brain, a warmth throbbing at the base of his skull.

“Cas,” Dean whispered.

“Yes Dean?”

“What is that smell?”

“What smell?” Cas took his eyes off the wolves and Dean caught a glimpse of those deep blue pools.

“I don’t know, there is this smell coming from you, it’s intoxicating and strange. It’s like a scent, but I can't smell it, it’s more like I can feel it.”

“What do you mean you can… Oh no.” Cas’ face paled, his eyes widening in shock.

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked, trying desperately to keep his voice calm. He felt a cold breeze tickle his neck as he looked at the angel.

“I think… it’s my…” Cas’ words were cut off by a loud howl coming from the direction of the den, his attention back on their mission now. Dean realised that the wind had shifted and they were suddenly downwind from the pack. He had a moment to look through the bushes, before the pack rushed them.

“Cas! Run!” Dean shouted as he released the safety switch on his shotgun. Instinctively the two men ran in opposite directions, and wolves being wolves, they pursued only one of them. Dean was thankful for the opportunity, he could flank them before they got to Cas and take out one or two before they turned back to him. 

Dean ran around the bushes they had been hiding in, not caring for stealth; his alpha needed him. He could hear Cas grunt in the distance. He followed the sound and found the angel miraculously sitting on a tree branch, just out of reach of the wolves. Dean crouched down, knowing that his angel was safe. 

All four of the wolves they had seen at the den were prowling beneath the tree. Dean sighed inwardly, wishing he had taken one of the rifles from the Impala instead of the shotgun and the Colt. 

He gently lay the shotgun down against the base of a moss covered tree and took the revolver from his belt. He steadied himself against the tree, taking aim at the largest of the wolves. It was no rifle but if he got the shot off just right he could kill one wolf and scatter the rest. And the shotgun was close enough to grab in case he got charged. 

He breathed deep, feeling his body settle, preparing itself for the impending shot. The world seemed to slow down, he watched the large wolf jump, and Cas lean forward, slicing the blade across it’s face, the wolf yelped and twisted. Dean pulled the trigger, the deafening shot rang out and the wolf never landed on it’s feet. It crashed to the ground and lay still. Dean noticed the distinct red trickle of blood pouring from the exploded eye socket. 

He had expected the wolves to flee, but instead they gathered closer, each attempting to jump higher and reach the alpha. Four more shots rang out, killing only two more wolves. Shockingly the animals vehemently pursued Cas, even as their kin died around them. Only when the fifth shot hit the final wolf, just above it’s shoulder did the pursuit turn to Dean, the wolf turned, it’s eyes glaring and it’s teeth bared. Dean dropped the revolver and reached for the shotgun as the wolf sniffed the air. It took a single step before looking up, hearing the man on the branch yell. The wolf did not move as Cas dropped from the tree, slamming the angel blade into the back of it’s head. The wolf twitched, its paws kicking up dirt in the last throes of death.

Cas stood, pulling the blade from the wolf’s head, he stretched to his full height, the angel blade held in his right hand, blood dripping from the shimmering silver. Dean was almost certain he could see the faint outline of black wings behind Cas’ back, but he could not be sure, since the wings were as dark as the night. He looked _so damn hot_ as he stood there and embarrassingly Dean felt the front of his pants tighten as he watched the angelic alpha. 

Dean took a step forward, the shotgun forgotten against the tree, wanting to rush to the angel and embrace him. Before he could move though he saw the angel frown, and his eyes widen.

“Dean, look out!” Cas shouted as Dean heard the rustle of leaves behind him. There was another wolf he realised as he turned to grab his shotgun. He felt the moss under his feet and a moment later he went flying, his head hitting the tree trunk as a black shape crashed into him. 

He struggled with the hot, furry creature on top of him, it was stronger than anything he had ever wrestled with. The claws scratched, the foul breath blew in his face, and without warning sharp teeth clamped down on his shoulder. He screamed in pain, feeling his left arm go numb. The hot breath and sharp teeth were at his throat now, a haze descended over him as he felt those sharp points pierce his flesh. From the corner of his eye he saw Cas, the glistening silver blade swinging left and right at two wolves; Dean was certain this time that he saw wings but the darkness overtook him as he felt the wolf lift him by the throat and drag him into the bushes.

*~*~*

Dean felt weak, he tried to open his eyes but it was as though the lids were too heavy, the thought passed through his mind that waking up feeling the way he did was becoming a regular thing since he came to the forest. If he wasn’t so tired he would have laughed at his own joke. He slowly became aware of the world around him, it was cold, and he was on the ground, it was sticky and smelled of copper. In the distance he could hear grunting, he tried to force his eyes open but all he could see was a faint glimmer of the world through a red sheen. 

Something about the red sheen felt familiar, the warmth, the smell, the molasses-like movement on his skin. Dean’s heart quickened, panic setting in as he realised what was going on. He tried to take a deep breath but he was in the decompensated shock phase of bleeding out, there was no way to stop it now. The cold would creep into his body faster and deeper and before he could realise it he would be dead. A loud scream permeated his thoughts, silence followed for what felt like hours. “Where did that scream come from?” Dean wondered, something in his brain felt related to this scream but his thoughts were harder and harder to keep track of. Darkness suddenly overtook him, as though there was someone sitting in front of him.

An unexpected warmth took shape inside his chest, it radiated from a point, just above his heart and spread pleasantly through his veins and arteries. He took a deep breath and inexplicably energised, he opened his eyes. Cas knelt in front of him, deep blue eyes staring lovingly down at him.

“Dean? Are you okay?”

“Cas? What happened?” The angel was bloodied, his hair sticking up in more directions than usual, his shirt was torn and filthy. And his wings were stretched out behind him. Wait, what?  
“Cas, your wings… they’re so beautiful.”

“What?” Cas asked and Dean reached out, touching the soft feathers.

“Your wings…”

“Yes, Castiel, he can see your wings.” A third voice had joined their conversation. Cas looked away from Dean, the voice was coming from the wolf den. As the two men watched the wolf boy stepped from the darkness. The voice flowing from the child’s lips was definitely not his. Castiel stood, stepping in front of Dean and blocking his view of the boy.

“Hello Naomi,” Cas spoke, his voice heavier than Dean had ever heard it before, “I wish I could say that I was happy to see you.”

“Sarcasm, such a human trait. Your pursuit of humanity will be your downfall just like it was for all the tainted angels I have slain before and all those I will slay after you.” 

Dean frowned as the boy, or rather the vessel continued to approach him and Cas. Perhaps his mind was still recovering from the blood loss but it appeared that the boy was changing, almost aging with every step he took.

“Naomi, stop. When we started looking for our father we agreed to not take children as vessels. Look at what you are doing to that child, your grace is making him age. If you don’t depart he will grow old and die within the hour.” Naomi stopped, looking around.

“You think I care about what happens to this hairless ape? This vessel was nothing more than a means to an end.”

“To what end could you kill a child.” 

Naomi’s eyes flared, the face twisting in anger.

“After Metatron banished me from the Earth I took possession of all his writings and in them I found a loophole to your little sanctuary Castiel. I anchored my grace to an innocent and sent him through the barrier. He is my conduit into your circle, but I knew that once I took possession of him I would have limited time to kill you, but you did such a good job of hiding yourself I needed to find you by some other means.”

The boy Naomi was possessing was aging substantially, Dean observed that he was clearly a teenager by now, his body lanky and hair beginning to sprout on his chest and chin.

“And that is where Dean came in, isn’t it?” Cas took his eyes off Naomi, blocking Dean’s position. The omega watched as the alpha began to pace, moving closer to Naomi but leading her away from him.

“Yes, I knew that whomever it was who hid in this forest knew I was looking, and would be hiding his grace. And when I felt that filthy omega creature in the area I knew my wolves would draw him in and that you, a tainted monstrosity, would not be able to resist the object of his lust dangled in front of him.”

“Very well, you have me now. I revealed myself to you when I healed Dean, you got your confirmation. Now you want to kill me. But I have the angel blade.” Cas twirled the weapon in his hands. 

Dean watched as Naomi reached behind her, the vessel was a man now, he stood naked in the clearing, muscles undulating under his skin as he moved.

“Oh Castiel, you think I came unprepared?” Naomi raised her hands and two angel blades flew from the den, faster than bullets from a gun. She caught them effortlessly. Silence fell in the clearing as the two angels stared one another down.

Cas was the first to move, rushing the other angel, his blade swinging, jabbing and slashing at the naked skin of her vessel. She blocked him at every stroke. Dean watched as the speed of the battle increased.

“I have to do something,” he told himself. He rolled over, moving was becoming easier by the minute. The handprint on his hip flared, sharp pain shooting up his side. He looked up, seeing the angels had stopped, Naomi’s vessel bleeding from a gash on his chest, Cas’ shirt stained with fresh blood on the right shoulder. 

Naomi appeared to buckle under the pain for a second before anger flashed on her face and she attacked, Cas deflecting as fast as he could, but Dean knew the difficulty of stopping two blades while only using one. The battle continued behind him as he looked around, the revolver lay just a few feet from him.

“This is going to get me into so much trouble,” he told the gun as he pulled it closer. Though a shot to the chest might not bring Naomi down it sure as hell might serve as a distraction. He turned and watched the battle; there was no way he was going to hit Naomi when they were fighting at the speed they were moving at.

A thought took shape in the back of his mind as he tried to find his alpha in the flashing shapes in the clearing. Cas had mentioned that if he concentrated perhaps he could make the alpha hear his thoughts.

“Cas, I really hope you were right about this,” Dean thought to himself as he centred his thoughts. Sam would have been so proud to know he was using some of those meditation techniques the Moose was always going on about.

“Hold her down Cas, I just need two seconds”. Dean repeated the thought like a mantra, focussing on nothing except the words as he watched. Minutes later he sighed, it was hopeless.

 _‘Now Dean.’_ He would never be sure if he thought the words himself or if Cas had telepathically sent him the message but the battle stopped, Naomi’s right hand caught between Cas and her now middle aged vessel, the left arm held tightly by Cas’ right. Cas clung to her throat, his own angel blade lost sometime during the battle. Dean pulled the trigger. The shot rang out through the clearing and hit it’s mark, blood bursting from the wound between Naomi’s shoulder blades.

With a loud scream and strength Dean had never seen before she twisted, tossing Cas aside like a rag doll. She turned, her face distorted with rage, a glint from her left hand was all the warning Dean had as she flung one of her blades at him. 

As though appearing from thin air Cas was suddenly in front of Dean. Whether it was inexperience or clouded judgement neither man would ever know, but Cas attempted to catch the blade but missed. Less than a second later the men found themselves pinned to the tree by the angel blade. Dean looked down, pain sweeping through his body. The blade had sliced through Cas’ hand and into Dean’s chest, passing through and into the tree bark behind them. Naomi dropped to her knees, the hit from the bullet clearly affecting her vessel.

The pain spread through Dean’s already weak body. “Cas.” 

The alpha turned, shock clouding his face. He reached up with his free hand and caressed Dean’s cheek.

“Dean, I tried to stop it.”

“Shh, I know. You have to pull it out.”

“I can’t Dean, you are already weak, you will die. I don’t have enough strength to heal you.”

“You have to stop her, and you can’t do that without the weapon so conveniently lodged in my chest.”

“I cannot kill the man I love,” Cas whispered.

Dean sighed, Cas’ words causing a warmth to spread through his chest despite the cold blade sticking in it. “You’ve saved me a million times already by saying that.”

“Dean…”

“Just do it Cas, while she is weak.” 

Cas leaned in, kissing Dean. A different kind of warmth replaced the pain in Dean’s chest, it was coming from his hip, the handprint was tingling. Dean’s eyes shot open, meeting Cas’ equally wide blue orbs. 

For a moment Dean felt as though the world had stopped. He looked behind Cas, Naomi was on her feet, her arm outstretched her angel blade a few inches from her fingers. He gasped, breaking their kiss and pushed Cas aside. 

As though the action unfroze time, the angel blade exploded from where it hung in front of Naomi’s hand and slammed into the tree between the two men, the same place Cas’ head had been only moments before. The alpha growled, tearing his hand from where it was impaled against Dean’s chest. The omega stared in wonder as the mangled hand healed, within seconds, to it’s pristine state. Cas held it up, his face confused.

“No!” Naomi screamed, “It’s not possible!”

Cas looked at her, the confusion clearing from his face.

“You brought me an omega from my own bloodline, didn’t you?” Cas asked her, the blue of his eyes almost bioluminescent.

“No, it can’t be.” Naomi’s vessel was growing wrinkles, the hairline receding.

“You tried to stop us from becoming demigods and instead helped us birth a new race,” Cas spoke, his voice carrying over the clearing as he stepped closer to Naomi.

“Stay away from me,” she screamed with teeth now yellow with age. Cas rushed at her, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to the nearest tree. She squirmed.

“Have mercy,” she choked out.

“You would not have granted me mercy had I asked,” Cas spoke, placing his palm on her forehead. She screamed, her scream becoming a howl as bright white light burst from her mouth and eyes. When he released her she collapsed on the ground. Cas left her and made his way back to Dean.

“Cas, what?”

“Hold still Dean, this might hurt for a moment.”

Dean bit down on his teeth as Cas reached for the blade sticking out of his chest. He cried out as he felt his alpha pull it from his chest. He gasped and grabbed at the wound, only to find that there was no wound, no blood, nothing. He felt around his chest and there was nothing but smooth skin.

“What happened?”

“You are an omega, directly descended from one of my bloodlines. We are bonded.”

“What, are you saying we just became demi-gods?”

“Indeed.”

Any further conversation was interrupted by a scream from the vessel. 

“What have you done to me?” Naomi screamed, her old man’s lips cracked. Cas took Dean by the hand and led the two of them to her.

“I have punished you Naomi, I have made you mortal and trapped you in that vessel.”

“No!” She screamed.

“Cas, what about the boy?” Dean asked.

“The boy is dead, his soul departed his body during the battle, leaving the vessel empty with the exception of Naomi. I have bound her to it for the remainder of the vessel’s life.” 

Naomi was crying, rubbing her face with her hands. “Kill me, please,” she begged.

“I will not grant you that privilege Naomi, you will live the life of this man. When the sun rises you will forget that you were an angel and live the life of a human. Upon death you will return to your true self and bring the memories of a human life with you. I pray to our Father that you will see the value of humanity thereafter. If, upon his death you return here with any anger, I assure you I will erase you from creation.” 

Defeated, Naomi stood, carefully leaning against the tree.

“Be gone,” Cas spat at her and she stumbled away into the darkness.

Castiel turned to look at Dean, wrapping his arms around his mate. “We are safe now. Naomi can’t hurt us anymore.”

“What about the others? Are there more angels like Naomi, trying to finish the mission to kill all the angels here on earth?”

“No, I don’t think so. Besides, no one would dare touch us now that we are above all the other angels in the hierarchy.”

“You fit the bill perfectly, Cas, but it’s weird to think of myself like that. I’m just a hunter and an omega at that.”

“You are my mate, Dean, and we are in this together. You are smart, strong, brave and kindhearted, you are everything I have ever wanted for my mate, and I love you.”

“Dude, you can’t know that, we have known each other only for a few days,” Dean argued, his cheeks tinted pink at Castiel’s compliments.

“It doesn’t matter that we met only recently. In my heart I’ve known you for centuries, known that eventually our paths would cross and you would become my mate. I knew you were my true mate the moment we mated in the woods.”

“Why didn’t you tell me if you knew?”

“Would you have believed me if I told you back then?” Castiel challenged, raising his eyebrows.

Dean lowered his gaze and murmured, “No.”

“Do you believe me now?”

Dean looked up at hearing the serious, low voice, and his eyes locked with Castiel’s intense stare. The words stuck in his throat as he tried to reply, his heart swelling with overwhelming emotion, but eventually he managed to croak, “Yes.”

A huge smile lit Castiel’s face as he crushed Dean against his chest and kissed him as if his life depended on it. Dean melted against his mate, kissing back with fervor, lost in the sensation of finally belonging.

Their heated kissing could have led to the next level of intimacy despite the rotting corpses of wolves around them, if not for the loud growling of Dean’s stomach interrupting their moment of passion. Dean looked annoyedly down at his stomach as if it had severely betrayed him, but Castiel chuckled and released Dean from his embrace. 

“Come on, let’s get back to the cabin. It’s late and I obviously need to feed you.”

“Damn it Cas, you don’t have to feed me! I happen to know perfectly well my way around the kitchen too, so I can feed us both if needed,” Dean grumbled, annoyed that their magical moment had been broken so rudely.

“I know, but let me take care of you for now, okay? I really need to do it,” Castiel pleaded, his inner alpha clearly demanding him to care for his mate.

Dean relented, and Castiel took his hand, guiding him through the darkened woods the long way back to the cabin. Once they were at the cabin, Castiel headed straight towards the stream, calling over his shoulder, “I need to wash up a bit first, the stench of the wolf blood isn’t exactly my favourite scent at the moment. Want to join me?”

Dean stopped in his tracks at seeing Castiel shed his clothes as he went. When he reached the stream, he was already naked and dove straight into the water. As soon as he surfaced, Castiel beckoned Dean to come and join him. The sight was too tempting for Dean not to follow, and soon he found himself naked in the stream, Castiel’s gentle hands checking every inch of him for any remaining injuries.

“Dude, I’m fine, no need to go through a full physical here,” Dean exclaimed, laughter in his voice, because seriously, the alpha was getting way too thorough with his caretaking. That had no effect on Castiel, though. He didn’t stop his ministrations until he was absolutely sure that Dean was really fine, and only then did they proceed to wash each other to get rid of the grime from the battle. 

Dean couldn’t help but get aroused as Castiel’s strong hands washed him from head to toe, massaging his scalp with nimble fingers made him moan unashamedly. He clung to Castiel’s shoulders, trying to keep himself upright as the alpha caressed his skin with almost reverence. The alpha wasn’t any less stimulated by their bathing if the poking of his huge erection into Dean’s hip was any indication. Dean really hoped Cas would do more than just bathe here with him, but no such luck. The alpha seemed to remember his agenda for the night as he gently released Dean from his arms.

“I promised to feed you, better get dinner started.” Castiel kissed Dean’s temple before helping him to the bank of the stream, taking their clothes with him. 

Dean couldn’t tear his eyes off of the angel, staring at him in fascination as his wet skin, hair and wings glistened in the moonlight. He looked utterly beautiful.

“What?” Castiel asked when he noticed Dean staring.

“Nothing. You are just so beautiful, can’t take my eyes off you.”

Castiel chuckled and wrapped his arm around Dean’s shoulders, guiding him to the cabin.

*~*~*

Castiel had prepared a quick meal of potato omelettes, and once again Dean was surprised how little he missed meat on his plate. The omelette was delicious, and after all the lecherous moaning from Dean that made Castiel raise his eyebrows, Dean had to admit that he really was a potato kind of guy. 

“Oh, does that mean you are giving up on pies then?” Castiel teased him with a wink.

“No no no no, no way! Pies stay no matter what, but if you can’t provide me cheeseburgers or any other sort of beef, then I suppose it’s possible that I can settle for eating potatoes.” Dean must have looked so horrified that Castiel burst into laughter.

“Rest assured, Dean, you will be fine. I’ll provide you anything you will ever want or need,” Castiel assured, still chuckling.

Dean was mortified. “Who uses _‘rest assured’_ these days, anyway,” he muttered, pouting.

Smiling, Castiel stood up and rounded the table to pull Dean up and into his arms. Embracing him tightly, he kissed Dean lightly on the lips. “I love you, Dean Winchester.”

“For making a fool of myself?” Dean asked testily.

“For being you, my perfect mate.” Castiel assured and kissed him properly this time, exploring Dean’s mouth thoroughly with his tongue. They were both still naked after their wash up, and Dean could feel their hardening erections brushing against each other.

Dean broke the kiss slightly out of breath and smirked, “ _Now_ you are just trying to get in my pants.”

“You are not wearing any pants, Dean.”

Dean huffed. “You know what I mean, Cas!”

“Would it be a bad thing if I wanted to get in your pants?”

“Absolutely not, but you are not knotting me on a kitchen table. As your official mate, I deserve a proper bed.”

“And that you will receive, my mate.” Castiel grabbed Dean under his buttocks and hoisted him up, carrying him all the way to their bed, tossing him onto it and crawling on top of him, kissing his way up Dean’s torso on his way. Dean could already feel his slick dripping out of him in hopes of getting knotted rather sooner than later.

Castiel, though, had other plans and resolutely kept his pace slow, enjoying and worshipping Dean’s body thoroughly despite Dean protesting loudly about the slow pace. Dean kept calling his mate ‘an old man who needed a map to find where he needed to go” and threatening to ‘buy him a rollator walker if he didn’t get in there already’. Well Dean _wasn’t needy_ , not at all, he just happened to be a very impatient man, right?

Anyway, despite Dean’s bitching, Castiel took his time with Dean’s body, until he deemed it was time to move on. Unceremoniously he grabbed Dean by his ankles and flipped him onto his belly, grabbing his hips and tilting them up.

“No map needed anymore, I think I found what I was looking for,” the alpha teased and ducked his face into Dean’s ass, tasting his slick.

Dean gasped when the alpha’s tongue started to probe his entrance, insistently pushing inside despite the strong ring of muscle fighting back. Castiel worked him open first with only his tongue, and then adding fingers on the side. Dean’s begging turned desperate the longer Castiel opened him up for his knot, he was so turned on that it was a miracle that he hadn’t passed out yet.

Finally Castiel took mercy on him and pulled his tongue and fingers out to make room for his huge, erect cock. While slowly pushing in, Castiel kissed every inch of Dean’s back and neck, and finally gently turned Dean’s head to be able to kiss him deeply on the mouth. Dean had never felt more loved and cherished in his life.

When Castiel started to move his hips, rolling them smoothly against Dean’s ass, Dean knew he wouldn’t last long. His groin was tingling already and hot waves licked his insides telling him he was already so close. He pushed his ass back, meeting Castiel thrust for thrust, urging him to go harder. Castiel didn’t need to be told twice as he started moving with long rolling thrusts that nailed Dean’s prostate every single time. Only a few more thrusts later Dean cried out as he came untouched, his climax crashing through him like a tidal wave. Castiel didn’t last much longer, and as Dean’s channel started to squeeze and milk his knot, Dean could literally feel the hot pulses of seed coating his insides wave after wave.

Dean was boneless after the force of the orgasm, and as the knot locked them tightly together, Castiel gently maneuvered them to lie on their side and wrapped one soft wing around them like a blanket. While they calmed their heavy breathing and waited for the knot to go down, Dean noticed that scent again, the scent that wasn’t as much a scent than a feeling. 

“Mmmm, there’s that scent again. It’s like an aphrodisiac, but hell if I’m able to do anything about it right now,” Dean drawled in a sleepy voice.

“What scent?”

“The same one I was asking about in the woods just before the wolves attacked.”

“Oh, that… it’s not a real scent but more like a reassurance of your mate, indicating that our bond is complete and you will be treasured and protected. It’s like a confirmation that our bond is real and strong. I can feel it too, but maybe a bit differently.” 

“How would you describe it then?”

“It’s like a calming draught, telling me you are near me and safe.”

“Cas…” Dean was glad that he didn’t have to face his mate when he tried to say it out loud for the first time. The words were too strange for him, something he thought he would never say to anyone. It was easier this way.

“Yes Dean?”

“I… I think I’m falling for you, like big time.”

Castiel pulled him tighter against his chest and kissed his shoulder. “I’m glad, Dean. I love you too, very much.”

The silence between them stretched, both of them lost in their own thoughts, but their heartbeats were oddly in sync, and Dean could actually feel contentment and happiness coming from Castiel through their bond. Dean found himself thinking about something that he had always pushed deep to the back of his mind; trying his best not to think about it, to not go that route because it was never going to happen. Now, though, the thought pushed through all the barriers and demanded to be out and about.

“Cas?”

“Hmm?”

“Have you thought about having children again?”

Dean was met with silence that would have made him run away embarrassed if he wasn’t locked by the knot. Castiel sighed.

“It has been hundreds of years, Dean. I had children once, you are living proof of that. Would you want children?”

“I don’t know, Cas. I mean, I have been on suppressants for so long. I doubt if I’m even able to have children anymore.”

“But would you like to have children one day?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. If it’s even possible.”

“We are different creatures now, everything is possible for us.”

Dean chuckled. “Oh yeah, almost forgot. We are some sort of demigods now. Do I get my own mojo now, what do you think?”

“I don’t know, this is the first time that any of this has happened. However, I can feel you are very closely linked to my grace right now, but we will just have to see how it turns out.”

“You sure have a way of turning a guy down, don’t you Cas? Nearly broke my heart.”

“I did what?” Cas sounded confused.

“If you are not giving me my own mojo, I just have to rely on my old friend Baby to keep me going.”

“What are you talking about? You are not making any sense, Dean.”

“The Baby is my beloved Impala, it has been by my side… oh fuck! I forgot I have Baby parked at the roadside! It better be there and in the same pristine condition as when I left it there!” Dean growled in frustration. “Cas, we need to go and get my car right now before some punk decides to steal it or harm it any way!”

Cas wrapped his arms even tighter around Dean trying to keep him in place. Dean tried to yank himself free, but the knot reminded them quite painfully it was still there. Dean groaned and sagged against his mate’s chest in defeat.

“Calm down, Dean. We will go and get your car as soon as the sun rises. It will be safer in the morning because Naomi will have ceased to exist by that time. Try to rest for a while. You will get your car back in the morning, I promise.” 

“Fine! But first thing in the morning you are going to take me to get Baby.”

“I promise, Dean. Now sleep.”

Grudgingly, Dean settled down against Castiel and let the soft feathers of the wing and his mate’s strong arms cradle him into sleep.

*~*~*

A ray of sunlight tickled Dean’s eyelids as he slowly woke up. The sun was almost fully up, and Castiel was not in bed anymore. Before he fully reached consciousness, Dean was out of bed and fumbling for his clothes that he found on the stool near the bathroom. Castiel had probably mojoed them clean, because there were no signs of battle on any of them as he dressed in haste.

Just as he stepped out on the porch to pull his boots on, Castiel rounded the corner with a bowl in his arms.

“Cas, where have you been? Why didn’t you wake me? We need to go right fucking now!”

“I have breakfast ready, let’s eat first.”

“No way! I need to get my Baby!”

“No time for a slice of pie first with coffee?”

“Oh, well… maybe a quick breakfast then. When did you have time to make a pie, dude?”

“I don’t need much sleep, I had time before you woke up.”

Castiel urged Dean inside the cabin, and Dean couldn’t believe how he had missed the delicious smell of fresh coffee and blackberry pie in his haste to get out of the cabin. 

While Dean wasn’t a man to turn down a pie, he still didn’t waste any time clearing his plate and draining his coffee, and then standing up, waiting for Castiel to finish his own meal.

“Well? Aren’t we going already?”

Shaking his head in amusement, Castiel collected their empty dishes from the table and put them in the sink. Then he led the way out of the cabin, and after Dean had his boots on, out of the clearing into the woods.

The path Castiel followed led them past the coven compound, but not too close for them to be noticed. They hiked in comfortable silence, Dean following Castiel closely and trying not to stare at the muscles of his firm ass moving in front of him. Less than an hour later Castiel stopped and pointed towards the tree line in front of them.

“I believe you entered the forest somewhere about here.”

Dean flashed a relieved smile at his mate and pushed past him in his excitement to seeing his beloved Baby again. Then, he stopped abruptly as he noticed Castiel didn’t follow him.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Castiel shook his head, looking apprehensive.

“It’s the circle, isn’t it? It ends here?”

Castiel just nodded, his nervousness visible.

“Come on, Cas, the bitch is defeated and you said yourself there wouldn’t be any other threat coming from the angels. Why do you think it isn’t safe to cross the line and leave the circle now?”

“I haven’t been outside the circle in hundreds of years.” Castiel stared at the treeline in trepidation, and Dean got the feeling that his mate was shying away from stepping out of the circle for different reason than fear. Maybe he just didn’t feel ready for the world outside of his own little paradise.

Dean stepped closer to the alpha, reaching out his hand to take Castiel’s hand in his. “We are mates and we share the same power. Let’s do it together, okay?” He gently squeezed Castiel’s hand and pulled him along, the alpha following him without resisting.

They stepped out of the forest together holding hands tightly, Castiel only slightly hesitant as he stepped out of his sanctuary. Dean looked around, recognizing the area as the same where he had stopped the car and followed the wolves into the woods. His eyes scanned the perimeter and finally locked onto the familiar shape of his Baby on the other side of the road, securely parked out of the road, looking unscathed but most importantly still there.

Dean started towards his Impala with lighter steps than before, impatient to check her over, when he stopped abruptly at seeing movement behind the car. A familiar cap appeared in sight, and then a greying head with a scruffy beard peered at him over the roof of the Impala.

“Bobby!” Dean shouted and ran towards the older man, not noticing that Castiel wasn’t following him. “What are you doing here?”

“Dean! You alright, boy? Didn’t think to call or something? Getting me worried, son.” Bobby grabbed Dean in a bear hug, muttering “Should have called” into Dean’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Bobby, there wasn’t any signal, couldn’t call. Sorry for making you worry. I’m fine, we are both fine.”

“Both? What are you saying?”

“Oh shit, forgot. Come here, Bobby, I want you to meet someone.” Dean led Bobby back to where Castiel was standing looking a bit uncertain. Dean took his hand into his and squeezed it gently.

“Bobby, meet Castiel, my mate. Castiel, this is my surrogate father Bobby. He practically raised me and my brother while our dad was on his hunting trips.”

Bobby grunted something but reached out his hand for a handshake. “Should have known why your scent had changed.”

Carefully, Castiel took Bobby’s hand and shook it with a serious expression on his face. “I’m Castiel, Dean’s mate.”

“Care to explain what the hell happened, Dean? Last time I checked you were about to come home and you were still unmated. Five days without any contact and when I come to find out what’s keeping you here, I find your Impala abandoned on the side of the road and you come introduce me to your mate. What the hell, Dean?”

“Look Bobby, it’s not that I planned to come here mating in mind. It just happened. I was investigating a case and was hit by my heat and then met Castiel who helped me through it.”

“Yeah, helped you by mating you. How convenient.” Bobby was clearly suspicious. “I’ve warned you about taking cases by yourself.”

“Oh, come on, Bobby, it wasn’t like that. Cas is my mate and I’m fine with it. Actually…” Dean’s voice trailed off as he noticed Castiel staring at something over Bobby’s shoulder. Dean followed his eyes and noticed a beautiful brunette standing on the other side of the road, staring at them intensely.

“Cas, what is it?” Dean asked quietly, until he spotted wings tucked behind the woman. “Oh fuck. Are we in trouble?”

“No, this is... fine. She’s one of us.” Castiel spoke in a low voice, moving around Bobby to greet the woman. Dean was not going to let Castiel meet the stranger alone, so he tagged along. After a moment he also noticed Bobby following them.

Castiel stopped in front of the she-angel and nodded in greeting. “Hannah.”

“Castiel.”

“How did you find me?”

“I mean no harm, I swear. When Naomi revealed your hiding place, we found out about you and… your new status. I’m here to recognise you and honor you as the new leader of Heaven. If you want compensation for the crimes Naomi has done, I’m willing to accept my fate.”

Dean heard a faint “What the hell?” coming from Bobby, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the woman. He didn’t trust any other angels after that Naomi bitch, and he stared at Hannah with cold eyes.

Castiel stared at Hannah for a long time as well, as if assessing her trustworthiness. Then he took Dean’s hand in his and lifted their joined hands to his lips, kissing Dean’s knuckles softly.

“Hannah, this is my bonded mate, Dean. Dean, Hannah is an angel of the Lord, just like I was. We served in the same garrison in Heaven. Why did they send you Hannah?”

Dean noticed Hannah’s eyes turning sad as Castiel introduced Dean to her, but she schooled her expression quickly. 

“The decision to come here was mine and mine alone, because I’ve been the leader of Heaven in our Father’s absence. Naomi betrayed us all, she had her own agenda towards the angels living on Earth. If you feel the need to punish us for our negligence to see through Naomi’s actions, I will accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

“No one is to be punished, Hannah. Naomi is defeated, and if she was the only one with her agenda, then we all will be fine. You may return to Heaven and to your duties. I have come to care for the humans on Earth, and I wish to continue living here with my mate. If the need arises, I can and will come to your aid in Heaven, but otherwise you can continue as you have until now.”

“But Castiel, your home is in Heaven!” Hannah exclaimed, pain in her eyes evident.

“No Hannah, my home is on Earth now, with Dean. This will be our Heaven.”

Hannah slumped as if defeated, but seemed to accept Castiel’s decision. Then she straightened her back and stated calmly, “So shall it be.” Then she bowed at Castiel, took a step back and vanished.

“Fuck, Cas, that chick has a huge crush on you,” Dean hissed, feeling a bit guilty at being the cause of the woman’s pain, but nevertheless happy that she was gone and Castiel was all his now.

“I know,” Castiel simply replied, standing still and staring at the spot where Hannah had been standing.

“You regret not leaving with her?” Dean couldn’t help but ask, a twinge of jealousy stabbing him in the chest.

Castiel shook his head and turned to look at Dean, his eyes bright and sincere. “I will never regret choosing you over Heaven. You are my mate and my place is here with you. I love you, Dean.” 

They stared into each other’s eyes until a throat was cleared behind them. “Now would be a good time to tell me what the hell is going on here.” Bobby’s voice was annoyed at not understanding the situation at all.

Dean tried to be brief with his explanation of the events that had lead to the current situation. Bobby’s eyes almost bulged out at the part where Naomi came out of the den inside the possessed child, and he barely kept his anger in check when Dean told him about the blade in his chest. 

Bobby never asked and Dean never invited him to visit the cabin; the place was just for him and Castiel. It was their heaven on Earth, just for the two of them. 

Bobby didn’t like it but relented when Dean asked him not to fight it and leave Dean in peace with Castiel for now. They needed to learn to live as mates, get to know each other better and be comfortable with each other before stepping outside of the forest to the real world.

Together they moved the Impala to a safer spot where Castiel used his grace to make it unnoticeable to every other being but the three of them. It would be safe there until they decided to leave the forest, and they would some day, that much Dean promised to Bobby and himself. He loved hunting and he’d continue hunting in the near future with Cas by his side, but for now they wanted to start a life together.

“Just one thing, idjits, before I leave. I’ll give you two months to have a proper honeymoon. Then you will come visit me and your old man and Sam if he’s available from school, and you will explain everything to them. Until then I will keep your secret. That clear, Dean?”

“Yes Bobby, it’s all kosher. See you in two months!”

With a wave, Bobby drove away, leaving Dean and Castiel standing on the side of the road.

“Did he just call us idjits?” Castiel asked, tilting his head to the side, confused.

Dean shrugged, grinning. “Yep, that’s Bobby. We could be full almighty gods for all he cares, to Bobby we will always be idjits. Just get used to it.” 

 

The End


End file.
